Final Fantasy VII: LEGACY
by Dino Pollard
Summary: Five years later, Cloud lives in solitude in Nibelheim. But when a group called the Sephira emerge claiming to be the children of Sephiroth, the team must rise to a new challenge and Cloud must find himself again. Rated M for language.
1. Five Years Later

He was sinking.

It was a sea of sorts, but it wasn't composed of water. On the other hand, it was a green, viscous substance that had a bright glow to it. Despite this, it seemed to flow freely, but he was a prisoner to its current.

It washed over him, filling his lungs with the bright green fluid. He struggled to keep his head above, but something kept pulling him down into its depths. It reminded him of quicksand—the harder he struggled, the faster he sunk. But he still fought with all his strength.

He tried to swim, pulling his muscular arms through the material, attempting to reach shore. Yet there was no shore to speak of. The sea of green stretched on for as far as the eye could see. He was completely stranded.

A wave came over his head, pushing him beneath. He sunk quickly, and could see nothing but the bright green glow all around him. He felt strangely at peace in this place. There was a soothing nature to it that he couldn't quite explain. So he allowed it to pull him down.

Deeper and deeper he went.

He could no longer breathe, and yet he didn't feel like he was suffocating or choking. The deeper he sunk, the quicker he discovered he no longer needed his lungs in this strange place.

His eyelids felt heavy and he slowly lost the fight to hold them back. They slid over his bright, blue eyes and darkness enveloped him. He fell into a trance and drifted into a state of weightlessness.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Before him was a bright light, one which pierced his retinas and blinded him. He wanted to turn away, but found he couldn't. Then he saw something—no, someone—coming towards him from the light. Slowly, he made out the form of a woman drifting down towards him.

She was beautiful. With a warm smile and stunning green eyes. There was a very motherly quality about her, and he felt that he would be safe with her. She reached her hand towards him and he smiled as he brought his own up to grasp it. She could bring him away from all this, back into a world where he didn't feel so lost.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

The voice was deep and it came from below. He felt something stop his ascent and he fell quickly. Further and further from the woman, with her warm smile. He could barely make her out and she soon vanished into the horizon and the light which was once blinding was now dim and far away at the end of a long tunnel of black.

He fell hard on his shoulder, landing upon a desolate rock. He grunted in pain as he pulled himself to his feet. Standing in front of him was the one who pulled him from the woman.

He was tall, easily over six feet. He wore leather pants and knee-high boots. He was shirtless and his body was the peak of male physicality. He had a face with angelic features and bright green eyes. However, the smile on his face made his appearance into something twisted. Long, silver bangs framed his cheekbones and his silver hair spilled all the way down his back like a waterfall. In his right hand, he gripped the hilt of a katana. The blade was extremely long, at least seven or eight feet. The fact that this man could hold it in one hand with no effort was a testament to his strength.

"Did you really think you'd be able to escape?" he asked, that smile still plastered on his face.

"No…" said the young man with blue eyes. "You're dead."

"Come now, Cloud, haven't we already played that game?" he asked. "I am a god, and gods never die."

It took only a moment for him to swing the blade up and thrust forward. Cloud didn't even have a chance to blink before he saw he was impaled on the Masamune, his blood dripping slowly down the steel. He gasped for breath and looked into the face of his killer.

The killer just smiled back at him and said, "You'll never be rid of me, Cloud."

* * *

Cloud Strife awoke with a scream, gasping for breath. His blond hair was plastered to his face with sweat and his bare chest glistened in the moonlight that streamed in from the open window.

He pulled the sheet from his body and stepped over to the window. He leaned against the frame and looked outside. From this window, he could see the town of Nibelheim. Years ago, it was filled with people, but now it was an abandoned ghost town.

Ten years ago, it was burnt to the ground by the madman named Sephiroth. In an attempt to cover it up, the Shin-Ra Corporation rebuilt it and hired actors to live in the town and deny any knowledge of that. Five years later, they abandoned the town with the downfall of Shin-Ra.

Now, Cloud lived here alone. Holed up in the largest house in the town, which was once known as the Shin-Ra Mansion. The wealth of information left behind in the library hidden in the basement provided him with hours worth of reading.

He wondered why he felt so compelled to continue studying the secrets of Shin-Ra and the Jenova Project. Both were nothing more than a memory. Shin-Ra had been dismantled and Sephiroth and Jenova both destroyed.

There were no answers. Cloud Strife had been given his life and memories back. Yet once Meteor was destroyed, there was a void. He thought it was a lack of adventure, yet even spending three years as a wandering mercenary couldn't fill the void.

But did this?

He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he felt a… compulsion to stay here. Amidst the painful memories of years past. Why was he so obsessed with the past? Why did he still cling to it, instead of looking ahead to the future?

He caught his reflection in the windowpane and noticed his eyes had suddenly turned green. At first, he didn't notice, but the moment he turned away, his brain registered what he had just seen. He looked again and saw that they were their normal blue.

Just a trick of the moonlight, he supposed.

* * *

Sunlight poured in through the window, bathing his body in its warmth. He crinkled his eyelids before opening them. He could hear the sound of birds chirping outside and glanced to the clock on his bedside table. It read six o'clock.

He sighed and climbed out of bed. After the nightmare, he found it nearly impossible to fall back to sleep. He tossed and turned the entire night and he felt exhausted. Still, he had a task for today. He was running low on food and needed to embark on a hunting trip.

He dressed in black pants, heavy black boots and a navy-blue sleeveless sweater. He pulled on a pair of leather gloves and hooked a harness over his chest. Hanging just below his back were leather straps meant to contain his sword. It sat in a corner of the room, resting against the wall. He hefted the massive weapon and examined it.

It wasn't all that dissimilar to the sword he once wielded five years ago. The weapon seller near Gongaga had improved on it. Instead of just one large blade, it was composed of several smaller swords interlocked into it. A useful weapon, to be sure.

His eye caught the picture held in a silver frame on the nightstand. It was taken five years ago, at the celebration party at Cosmo Canyon once Meteor was destroyed. Cloud was in it, standing among his allies in that final battle—Barret with his daughter Marlene, Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, Reeve with Cait Sith on his shoulders, Red XIII and… Tifa.

His thoughts went to Tifa. Not only her, but the entire team. None of them had seen him in at least two years. They didn't know where he was or what happened to him. Perhaps that was a bit cold on his part, but he did what he felt he had to do. Tifa wanted him to start a new life, move in with her. But Cloud wasn't ready.

So he left.

And he was still running. He had been running for so long that he didn't even know what it was he was trying to escape.

* * *

On the other side of the world, Tifa Lockheart was asking herself the same question. There was a twelve hour time difference between Nibelheim and Midgar. Which meant Happy Hour had just ended at the Final Heaven. Now the dinner rush would start coming in.

"Ugh, does it ever end?"

The complaint came from one of Tifa's waitresses. The twenty-one year-old girl slumped into a barstool and folded her arms on the counter, setting her head down on them. Tifa smiled at her employee and gave her a playful smack on the head.

"Hey!"

"No sleeping on the job, Yuffie," said Tifa.

Yuffie muttered a curse under her breath in her native Wutain language. Although Tifa wasn't familiar with the language, she heard Yuffie say the word enough times in anger that she was able to guess at its meaning.

"Y'know, I don't have to put up with this treatment," said Yuffie.

"You wanted to work here…"

"But only because I thought you'd be a pushover!" said Yuffie.

"Well I'm happy to disappoint you." Tifa grinned and tossed a damp rag at Yuffie. "Do me a favor and clean off some of the tables in the back. I've gotta check my messages."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Yuffie. She went about her task, wiping down some of the tables, preparing for the dinner rush that would be coming in soon. She thought back to the days when she trotted over the globe, seeking out materia and stealing from travelers who didn't know well enough to keep an eye on their belongings. In fact, that was how she met Tifa and the others.

Yuffie heard the sound of a bell and looked up. A tall man with short black hair just stepped inside the bar. He caught sight of Yuffie and smiled at her. Yuffie muttered another Wutain expletive under her breath.

"Hi there, Yuffie," he said. "Is Tifa around?"

"She's in her office," said Yuffie. "Are you here to hit on her again?"

"I just want to say hi."

"Leto, give it a rest. You don't stand a snowball's chance in hell with her."

"Thanks for the tip," said Leto. He walked past Yuffie towards the back of the bar. There was a small corridor in the back that led to the restrooms and at a T-junction was another corridor leading to a door labeled 'OFFICE.' Leto stepped up and knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in."

Leto opened the door and Tifa looked up at him with a smile, a phone against her ear. She held her index finger up to him, indicating that he should wait a minute. Leto stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him before leaning against it.

"Don't worry, Barret, she's fine," said Tifa into the receiver. "She's ten years old, she's not helpless. Look, get back to work and stop worrying so much about Marlene. She's perfectly okay, Elmyra's watching over her tonight. Okay, I'll leave early and ask Yuffie to close up for me. Will that make you feel better? Alright, I'll see you when you get back to Midgar."

She hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh, then turned her brown eyes up to Leto. The smile appeared back on her face. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," said Leto. "That was… Barret, right? Marlene's father? The… ahem big guy, right?"

"You mean the one who threatened to shove his gun-arm up your ass if you tried anything funny with me, right?" asked Tifa.

Leto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and a light smile appeared on his face as his cheeks turned red. Tifa giggled.

"It's okay, Barret's a good man, just a little… overprotective," she said.

"That's one way of saying it," said Leto. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'insane.'"

"You're not the first person to suggest that," said Tifa. "So what's up, Leto?"

"Well, I was wondering what you were doing on Friday," said Leto. "You know they've got a new production of Loveless playing and I have two tickets, so I thought—"

Tifa lowered her head a little and tried to keep the smile on her face, but there was no doubting it faded slightly. "Leto, I'm flattered, really. But it's like I told you, I'm really not interested in dating anyone."

"Right, I get that, I just thought maybe you'd like to go as friends," said Leto.

"I… I can't. I promised Marlene I'd spend some time with her."

"Okay, sure," said Leto. "Well, I guess I'll see you around then."

"Are you eating here?" asked Tifa.

"Nah, I should really go home, I've got some leftovers that I need to eat before they sprout legs and run out of the refrigerator," said Leto, forcing a smile. "I'll stop in next week, though."

"Okay, I'll give you a drink on the house," said Tifa.

"You don't have to do that," said Leto. He walked out of the office and closed the door behind him. He smacked his forehead a few times and muttered "stupid, stupid, stupid!"

As he walked towards the exit, he saw Yuffie standing behind the bar. She had a knowing smile on her face.

"What'd I tell ya, stud?" she asked.

"Oh piss off," said Leto. He could hear Yuffie's laughter as he walked out the front door.

* * *

At the peak of the highest mountain in Cosmo Canyon sat the home of the town's chief elder. Although he is physically fifty-three years of age, he is much younger by the standards of his species, only in his early twenties. Five years ago, he played a key role in saving the planet from Sephiroth and Meteor. His adopted grandfather, the late Bugenhagen, was the former chieftain. With his experience, the other elders of the Canyon felt the creature called Red XIII was more than suited to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

"Nanaki!"

He turned his head at the sound of his birth name, his eye fixing upon three of the Canyon's younger generation. He had a lion-like appearance, with bright red fur and an elaborate headdress over his mane. There were several tribal markings on his body, although one stood out—a "XIII" tattoo. Given to him when he was a prisoner of the mad geneticist called Hojo, also where he received the nickname Red XIII. The name his former friends in Avalanche knew him by. But here, in Cosmo Canyon, he had grown accustomed again to being called Nanaki.

"Yes?" he asked.

"We saw a bright light in the sky, do you know what it is?" asked one of the children.

"I haven't seen it," said Nanaki.

But he could feel something in his bones. There was a disturbance in the Lifestream. He lay upon the ground and closed his eye, sensing for the source of the disturbance. There was something there—that much he was certain of. But as for specifics, he was at a loss. He stood and turned to the children.

"Fetch the shamans, have them meet me at the Cosmo Candle," he said.

The three youngsters nodded and retreated down the steps leading up the mountain. Nanaki prepared to follow, but he paused for a moment and cast his eye out on the horizon. From his vantage point, he could see the peaks of Mount Nibel. He glanced further, in the direction of the Northern Crater.

"Sephiroth…?"

The very mention of that name made his fur stand on end. This was definitely something he needed to consult the shamans on. And, if necessary, his former teammates.


	2. Hard Times

Five years ago, the southern town of Mideel was virtually destroyed by an earthquake caused by the Lifestream. The World Restoration Organization was instrumental in rebuilding the town and since then, it had become a popular vacation spot as well as a place ripe for retirement.

Recently, however, tourists had begun to vanish. Some students from the Midgar University vanished while on vacation and had not returned. One of the students was the daughter of a wealthy executive in the WRO, who hired a special team of mercenaries for the job.

Reno took a drag on his cigarette as he knelt down to examine the body he discovered. He and his associates were just outside the forests surrounding Mideel. The body belonged to a young girl, couldn't have been more than nineteen. She had been badly mutilated.

"Hey, over here!" he called out.

His two teammates came to his side. However, their appearance was far more professional than Reno's. His red hair was a mess, with a long ponytail tied behind his head and a pair of sunglasses perched on his forehead. His navy-blue blazer was open, his shirt wasn't tucked and the collar was unbuttoned with a tie nowhere in sight. Many would have simply taken him as a slob instead of a leader.

One of his companions was a tall, well-built man with a naturally bald head, several earrings in each ear, and a light goatee. He wore a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes as well as a pair of black leather gloves. The other was a young woman with short, blonde hair. Like Reno, they both wore navy-blue suits, but the blazers and their shirt collars were buttoned, with their ties immaculate.

"Must be one of the students," said Elena.

"Question is, what killed her," said Reno.

"Looks like an animal," said Rude.

"Either that or some nutcase," said Reno. He took another drag on his cigarette. "But at least we found one of them. Let's find the other three so we can get back to Midgar and collect our pay."

"You don't want to find out who did this?" asked Elena.

"We're Turks, Elena—not superheroes," said Reno. "We were paid to find these kids and once we do that, our job's over. If this guy wants us to find out who killed his daughter—"

"Or what," interjected Rude.

"—then he'll have to pay extra," concluded Reno. "It wasn't in the contract. There's no money in nobility, okay?"

"Is that what Tseng would've done?" asked Elena.

"Tseng's dead, so what he would've done is kind of immaterial," said Reno.

"Anyone ever tell you how much of a bastard you are, Reno?" asked Elena.

"I take it you haven't met my mother, she used to tell me on a daily basis." Reno dropped his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. "Okay, let's keep moving. The other three should be around here."

Before Reno took another step, Rude grabbed his shoulder. Reno turned to his old friend, and Rude lifted a finger to his mouth, a cue to keep silent. He turned towards a brush and brought himself into a defensive fighting stance. Reno reached beneath his jacket and pulled out a small, metal rod. With a flick of his wrist, it extended to its full length. He turned to Elena, who had a Quicksilver-model gun in her hand.

There was a screech and a large creature leapt from the woods. The front half of its body appeared to be like a reddish-purple chocobo, while its hind legs were furry and had hooves. It also had a plume of feathers for a tail and large, bluish wings.

"Oh fuck me…" said Reno.

The Turks leapt from the creature's path. Reno rolled on the ground and quickly got back to his feet. He rushed at the monster and jumped into the air. He brought his staff down on it in a stabbing motion and flicked a switch on the handle, activating the electrified end. A current was sent through the monster, but it knocked the Turk back with its massive wing.

Elena opened fire on it with her gun in an attempt to distract it from Reno. It worked and although the bullets didn't appear to be causing too much harm, they obviously annoyed it. The monster hovered in the air and flew towards Elena.

As it flew past him, Rude grabbed one of the chocobo legs and pulled himself onto the monster's back. He wrapped his arm around its neck and used his free hand to try and pummel the creature. The monster screeched and flew in erratic patterns, trying to shake Rude off. It succeeded as it was just over the ocean and Rude fell into the waters below.

Elena opened fire on it again and the creature swooped down, going back towards its original prey. It flew towards her and Elena continued to fire at it. Just as it was about to strike her, Elena leapt away.

Reno put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. The creature turned and charged towards him. In his free hand, Reno held a small, circular device. When the creature was in range, he pressed the small switch and threw it. It struck the creature's neck and it exploded at the moment of impact. The monster screeched in pain as it was consumed by the flames.

Reno took out a cigarette and lit it on the flames, then placed it between his lips and allowed the smoke to fill his lungs. He removed the cigarette and said, "Turk light, bitch. You fucked with the wrong people, asshole."

Elena holstered her weapon and Rude emerged from the water, soaking wet. His sunglasses were missing and he peeled his blazer off, wringing the water from it. Reno walked towards them.

"Hippogriff," said Rude.

"But how? There hasn't been a monster sighting in at least three years," said Elena.

She was right. After the destruction of Meteor, the use of mako energy was outlawed. Two years later, most of the monsters were hunted down and killed.

"Which means something's not right," said Reno. "We should probably get over to Midgar and have ourselves a little chat with Reeve Tuesti. Maybe even offer our services to help him investigate the situation."

"For a price," said Rude.

"Need you ask?" said Reno with a grin.

* * *

Nanaki sat before the eternal flame known as the Cosmo Candle. It served as the center of Cosmo Canyon, the rest of the town was erected around it. Seated on each side of him were two of the tribe's elders, Bugah and Hargo.

On the other side of the Candle were the tribe's two chief shamans. Both were supremely in tune with the planet, and it was their knowledge Nanaki sought. They were lost in deep meditation and Nanaki knew he must simply wait for them to bring themselves out of it.

Slowly, that is what they did. Kyoske was the first to open his eyes, followed shortly by Midreian. They remained seated in a cross-legged position, the palms of their hands resting on their knees.

"Did you learn anything?" asked Nanaki.

"Your senses are as keen as ever, chieftain," said Midreian. "There is indeed a disturbance within the Lifestream. However, I haven't been able to pinpoint the source of the disturbance."

"Kyoske?" asked Nanaki, turning to the elder shaman. Kyoske simply shook his head.

"I wasn't able to pinpoint the source, either," he said.

"Could it be related to Sephiroth and Jenova?" asked Hargo.

"There's a strong possibility, Sephiroth was the greatest threat ever posed to the planet and his presence could certainly cause such a disturbance," said Kyoske.

"Sephiroth and Jenova were destroyed, though," said Bugah.

"Jenova was essentially a virus, and each piece of its DNA could survive independently of the whole, so there is a chance we missed part of it somewhere. As for Sephiroth, he has a history of cheating death." Nanaki looked to the shamans. "What do you suggest?"

"The wound inflicted on the planet is perhaps the best place to begin," said Midreian.

"The Northern Crater," said Hargo.

"An investigation must be conducted," said Nanaki.

"You will go?" asked Hargo.

"As the son of Seto and the chieftain of the tribe, it's my duty to defend this Canyon and its people," said Nanaki. "But I can't do it alone."

"You're our chieftain, Nanaki, we will follow wherever you lead," said Kyoske.

"The offer is appreciated, but I want the two of you to remain here at the Canyon," said Nanaki. He looked to Hargo and Bugah. "I leave for Midgar at the break of dawn."

* * *

Cloud remained low to the ground as he kept the Nibel wolf in his eyesight. Cloud was near the base of Mount Nibel, and was able to remain out of the wolf's sight. He hefted the sword in his hand as he slowly moved closer. The wolf still failed to notice his presence, just sniffed the ground and looked off into the horizon. He, too, was on the hunt.

As the wolf slowly padded towards the mountains, Cloud moved from his position and followed, ensuring he kept enough distance between him and the animal. As he continued his hunt, he realized that this wasn't such a bad life. Living alone, hunting down his food. Occassionally, he would need supplies and on those days, he drove the Fenrir model motorcycle to Gongaga. It was a bit of a drive and Cosmo Canyon was closer, but this way Cloud avoided any uncomfortable questions Red XIII may have raised.

The wolf stopped and turned to look behind him. Cloud ducked down behind one of the jagged rocks that made up Mount Nibel. The wolf had probably picked up his scent, which meant this hunt wouldn't go on for much longer. He'd have to move quick and strike now before it was too late.

Cloud peeked around the rock and saw the wolf turn away and continue down his path. Cloud moved behind the rock and began to run, bringing his sword up, ready to strike. He was just about to move in for a killing stroke, when a figure clothed in black leapt from one of the ledges and descended from the sky. The wolf only had a chance to howl in pain as the new arrival's sword pierced its side.

Cloud stopped in his stride and regarded this figure with caution. He kept his sword at the ready, prepared to strike. The figure drew the sword from the wolf's body. It was a man with short, silver hair and green eyes. Eyes which had an unnatural glow to them. They were eyes which were hauntingly familiar to Cloud.

"Who are you?" asked Cloud.

The man offered no reply, just smiled as he started to approach. Cloud raised his blade to indicate that he wasn't playing around. This man bore a striking resemblence to Sephiroth, and Cloud's own experiences taught him that he couldn't take any chances with anyone who resembled that madman.

"I asked you a question," said Cloud. The man still kept silent. Instead, he charged forward with his katana blade. Cloud brought up his sword and blocked the strike. The man leapt over his head and thrusted at Cloud's side. The blond man sidestepped the thrust and brought his sword around in an arc, aimed for the man's feet. The Sephiroth lookalike leapt over the blade and drove his heel against Cloud's temple.

Cloud rocked back, shook the blow off, and hefted his sword. He reached into the blade with his free hand, pulling out a second, smaller sword. He rushed forward, swinging both blades interchangeably. The cloaked figure moved quickly, dodging each strike with almost no effort on his part whatsoever. Cloud could see a green glow coming from the man's arm.

Materia. Judging from his speed, it was probably a haste spell. Cloud mentally kicked himself for not being prepared with materia of his own. It had been years since he had a need for it, so he had gotten used to leaving it behind. Now he realized that was a mistake on his part.

The cloaked man jumped onto a mountain ledge and leapt forward. His speed was unreal and he seemed to fly towards Cloud. He brought his katana blade down and Cloud's head would have been sliced in half. However, there was a loud CLANG and a flash of gray appeared around Cloud's body. Cloud's shock was the same as the cloaked man's. Someone had cast a barrier spell on him, but who?

"Gebura! That's enough!" The voice came from a woman, with long hair the same color as Gebura's, as well as the same eyes. She, too, was dressed all in black. Gebura looked at Cloud with an anger in his eyes, but sheathed his blade and stepped over to the woman's side. She approached Cloud with a smile on her face. "I'm sorry about that, Gebura has a bit of a temper."

"Apparently," said Cloud. He still kept his sword ready, however. "Now who are you people?"

"My name is Binah, this is Gebura," she said.

"What do you want?" asked Cloud.

"We were simply on our way to the reactor, that's all," said Binah.

"The reactor's been torn down, all of them have been. The use of mako was outlawed after Meteor."

"That's okay, we just wanted to visit the site of the reactor," she said.

"For what purpose?" asked Cloud.

"You're Cloud, aren't you?" asked Binah with a smile. "You're taller than you looked in the newspapers." She was trying to avoid the issue.

"I asked you a question," he said.

Binah paused and looked at Gebura. He crossed his arms over his chest, but kept his gaze fixed on Cloud. "We were looking for the place where Sephiroth fell."

"Then you should be at the Northern Crater, that's where he died," said Cloud.

"You would know, since you killed him," said Gebura.

Cloud returned Gebura's stare with one of an equal intensity. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Gebura moved to advance, but Binah placed a hand on his chest, keeping him back. "Please, no more fighting." Gebura held himself back and huffed.

"What's your connection with Sephiroth?" asked Cloud. "And don't tell me there is none, because there's gotta be some reason why you look like him. I thought he killed off all the clones."

"He's our father," said Binah.

"Come again?"

"You heard her," said Gebura with a growl.

"We are the Sephira," said Binah. "Please Cloud, sheathe your sword. We only want to learn more about our father."

Cloud looked at the peaks of Mount Nibel. They intended to go to the site of the reactor, and judging from Gebura's reaction earlier, they would kill him if he tried to stand in their way. There was something about Binah he found intriguing, and he wanted to learn more about these Sephira.

"Okay," he said as he slid his sword into the harness on his back. "But I'm going with you."


	3. The Search Begins

The center of Midgar was the World Restoration Organization Headquarters

The center of Midgar was the World Restoration Organization Headquarters. Originally, this was the spot where Shin-Ra Headquarters sat, until it was destroyed by Meteor. Reeve Tuesti, President of the WRO, chose to rebuild on the remains of Shin-Ra. Since he was the one who originally designed that building, he was slightly partial to it.

It wasn't as large as Shin-Ra Headquarters. Only fifty floors as opposed to seventy-five. Reeve's office sat on the top floor. The past five years had been nothing but work for him, repairing the damage done to the planet by Shin-Ra and Sephiroth. Rebuilding Midgar had been the first priority, as well as attempting to improve life for people in the slums. Money was tight, however, and no one said it was going to be an easy task.

He rubbed his thin, dark beard while he reviewed the report from Barret's recent survey. The former leader of Avalanche had been instrumental to Reeve in searching for alternative power sources to mako. Having once been a coal miner himself, Barret knew much about the fossil fuels.

The thought had occurred to Reeve more than once that perhaps even this wasn't the best answer. Draining mako energy from the Lifestream as Shin-Ra had done proved to be damaging to the planet. But how long would it be before they found out coal and oil also caused damage to the planet?

He pushed those thoughts aside for now and rubbed his eyes. He was running on almost no sleep and it was starting to affect him. He needed a vacation to recharge his batteries.

"You can't go in there!"

Reeve recognized the voice as belonging to his secretary. Almost instantly after he heard the words through the doors, they burst open. A slim man with red, spiked hair and sunglasses perched on his forehead stepped inside. Accompanying him was a tall, muscular bald man with a goatee and a young woman with short, blonde hair. All three of them were dressed in navy-blue suits.

Reeve stood from his seat. "It's okay, Charlotte. Let them in."

"Much obliged," said Reno. He looked back at Charlotte and flashed a grin. "You heard the man, back to work."

Charlotte muttered something under her breath and walked back to her desk. Rude closed the doors behind her and the three Turks approached Reeve.

"You know, you could have called first," said Reeve.

"We didn't have time to schedule an appointment, thought the direct approach was much more efficient," said Reno.

"I can see that." Reeve motioned to the chairs that were in front of his desk just before he sat down himself. "Please, have a seat."

Reno plopped down in one of the chairs and perched his feet up on Reeve's desk. Elena sat beside him and Rude simply stood, hands clasped in front of his body.

"So what brings the Turks to the WRO? You already know your services aren't necessary. We're not Shin-Ra," said Reeve.

"We were on an assignment down in Mideel, one of your employees lost contact with her daughter when she was there on vacation," said Reno. "When we went down there, we got into a fight with a hippogriff."

Reeve's eyes widened. "What? You encountered a monster?"

"Nasty one, too," said Rude.

"You must've been mistaken," said Reeve. "There hasn't been a monster sighting in years."

"That's why we're here," said Elena. "Something has to be done about this, Reeve."

"Maybe there were still some the hunters missed, that's all," said Reeve. "I don't think it's anything to be concerned about."

"I dunno about that," said Reno. "Something's fishy here, Reeve. And something tells me you think so, too."

"You're just paranoid, Reno."

"Am I?" asked Reno. He extracted a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket and put one between his lips.

"This is a non-smoking building," said Reeve.

Reno ignored him and struck the flint wheel on his lighter. He put the tip of the cigarette into the flame and started to puff.

"Look, we just thought you'd be interested in hearing about this, since the WRO is trying to build a better world," said Elena.

"Don't tell me this was completely altruistic—you have some ulterior motive, don't you?" asked Reeve.

"Now that you mention it…" began Reno with a slight grin. "We were wondering if you'd like to hire some professionals to look into this problem. We'll even give you a discount since we're all Shin-Ra alums here."

"Not interested," said Reeve.

"Who else is there?" asked Reno. "Word on the street is that your buddy Cloud dropped off the face of the planet."

"I have other resources besides Cloud," said Reeve.

"If you say so," said Reno. He stood and Elena followed suit. "Just remember, the offer's on the table."

Once the three Turks left the office, Reeve sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating what they had said. He reached for the phone on his desk and quickly punched a number into the keypad.

"Barret? Reeve. Listen, I was wondering if you and Cid could swing by Mideel on your way back to Midgar."

* * *

The creature once called Red XIII pulled himself up the side of the mountain, his front and back claws digging into the stones. This small mountain range just above the river that separated Nibelheim and Cosmo Canyon concealed a secret.

He reached the summit of the ledge and looked down. There was a waterfall there that emptied into a lagoon, a lagoon that reached all the way to the ocean floor below. Nanaki slid down the side and landed on the grass-covered ledge around the lagoon. He walked towards the waterfall.

Behind the waterfall was a fairly large and surprisingly well-lit cave, filled with a warm, blue glow. There was almost an altar at one end of it, complete with a crystalline structure. Nanaki's good eye surveyed the cave, but he found no one.

"Vincent?"

The only response he received was the echo of his own, deep voice. Nanaki shook his head in disappointment. This was the cave where, five years ago, Vincent discovered that his lover, Lucrecia, was still alive and living in this cave. Shortly before their final battle with Sephiroth, though, she had vanished. Although Vincent himself vanished after the destruction of Meteor, Nanaki had hoped his old friend would still be in this cave.

He left the cave, disheartened at the first setback on his journey. It was the chieftain's belief that Vincent would perhaps be able to shed some light on the disturbance he and the elders of Cosmo Canyon felt in the Lifestream. Instead, it looked as if Nanaki was on his own in this endeavor.

His task now was clear. He had to go to Midgar alone and speak with Reeve.

* * *

Cloud Strife had promised himself he would never come back to this place.

Even though the mako reactor which was once located in Mount Nibel was torn down several years ago, the memory of it still lingered within the mind of the former mercenary. It was here, ten years ago, that his entire world fell apart.

Where there was once a small mako reactor that powered the town of Nibelheim, now there was just some scattered metal, pipes that could not be completely removed from the ground. And not a hint of nature. No plants grew here and the animals avoided this area of the mountain.

Cloud never wanted to return here. But his encounter with Gebura and Binah, the silver-haired man and woman who stood by his side, encouraged him to follow them. He wanted to find out what their true purpose was.

"Is this what you wanted to see?" asked Cloud.

Binah stepped forward and her eyes were wide with amazement as she looked on the site of the former reactor. Almost as if there was some magnificent structure which only she could see.

"So this is where it happened," she said.

"Yes, this is where Sephiroth lost his mind," said Cloud. "Or at least, this is where it started."

The comment drew a glare from Gebura but Cloud ignored it.

"I'm curious about something, Binah," said Cloud.

"What's that?" she asked, not even turning to look at him.

"You said you and this little ray of sunshine—" he gestured with his hand to Gebura "—were Sephiroth's children, right?"

"You have a problem with that?" asked Gebura.

"Brother, please." Binah now turned to face the pair. "Yes, that's true. Why do you ask?"

"Because the years don't add up," said Cloud. "The two of you are what, in your early or mid twenties, right? Sephiroth was around thirty when he died and that was five years ago. So that means he had you when he was fifteen at the oldest?"

"Your confusion is understandable, Cloud, but we're not Sephiroth's children in the traditional sense," said Binah. "We're what you might call test tube children. Artificially bred and our age was accelerated."

"By whom?" asked Cloud.

"I think you know the answer to that," said Binah.

"Hojo," said Cloud. Binah nodded.

"After Sephiroth's disappearance at Nibelheim ten years ago, Hojo wanted a successor for his experiments. That's where we came in. Gebura, myself and the others were created and raised in captivity and our growth was accelerated."

"What for?" asked Cloud. "Hojo had Sephiroth clones after all. Why would he need you? At best, you'd still be lesser than Sephiroth himself."

"Watch your tongue!" Gebura snarled.

"Gebura!" said Binah, scolding her brother. "You're right, Cloud. And I don't know what Hojo's purpose was in creating us. We've been traveling to the notable places our father had been to in his life, hoping to discover some reason for our existence."

"You said others—how many of you are there?" asked Cloud.

"There are eleven in total, counting Gebura and myself," said Binah. "You probably knew Sephiroth better than anyone else. What can you tell us about him?"

"He was a lunatic," said Cloud. "A vicious, evil son of a bitch and the world is a better place with him dead."

"But you didn't always feel that way, did you?" asked Binah.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. When I was a kid, Sephiroth was my hero. He was only ten years older than me, and yet he advanced through the ranks of Soldier to become their most prized warrior. He was everybody's hero. Then he came to Nibelheim and went insane. Burned the town to the ground and killed almost every last one of the villagers, including my mother."

"But you stopped him?" asked Binah.

"I got lucky," said Cloud. "Maybe it was adrenaline on my part, maybe he was weakened, whatever the reason, I got the drop on him. He fell into the Lifestream and everyone thought he was dead. Until he resurfaced five years ago."

"I remember reading the papers," said Binah.

"This time, you killed him," said Gebura.

"He had it coming," said Cloud. "What he did in Nibelheim was just a precursor. He was responsible for many, many more deaths when he came back. And if my friends and I hadn't stopped him, he would've destroyed the entire planet. All in a sick bid for power."

"Hearing you talk about him is enough to give one the impression that you hate Sephiroth," said Binah.

Cloud looked up at her as if she had just slapped him across the face. "Are you serious? Of course I hate him."

"And yet, you surround yourself with his legacy," said Binah. "You live in the town he destroyed, in the home where he lost his mind. Why?"

Cloud's gaze shifted to his feet. "I have my reasons."

Binah sighed. "Cloud, I have a request." Cloud looked up at her. "Come with us on our journey."

"What?" said Gebura, the outrage evident in his voice.

"You can help us understand who our father was," said Binah.

"I already told you about him," said Cloud. "He was a madman, plain and simple. What more do you need to know?"

"Please Cloud, I think there's more going on here and I think you can help me get to the bottom of it."

"Absolutely not!" said Gebura. He walked between Binah and Cloud and faced the young, blond man. "I won't let you corrupt my sister with your lies!"

"I haven't said one lie and you know it," said Cloud, locking his stare with Gebura's.

"Gebura, this is important to me," said Binah.

"No, this is where I draw the line," he said. "It's either him or me, sister. I refuse to travel with the man who killed our father."

"Then go," said Binah.

"What?" asked Gebura.

"You heard me," she said. "If you're going to play these childish games, you're wasting my time. I believe Cloud had his reasons for doing what he did and there's more to this story that I need to discover. If you can't handle that, then go back with the others."

Gebura looked at his sister and then back to Cloud. He shook his head and walked past the former mercenary. As he did, he muttered in a low voice, "I'll be watching you, Strife."

Gebura walked towards the mountains, in the direction of Rocket Town. Binah sighed and looked at Cloud. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't mention it," said Cloud.

"But I'm serious about my offer," said Binah. "Will you come with me?"

Cloud watched Gebura's departing form, then looked at the young woman. "Okay, I'll do it."


	4. Divergent Paths

The Tiny Bronco descended from the sky and touched down on the plains just outside Mideel

The Tiny Bronco descended from the sky and touched down on the plains just outside Mideel. Once the plane came to a complete stop, the pilot turned off the engines and climbed out.

Cid Highwind lit up a fresh cigarette the instant his boots hit the ground. He raised his aviator goggles and lifted his hand up to block the glaring sun. His companion climbed out of the passenger seat as well, the sun shining off his cybernetic hand.

Barret Wallace looked at his old friend and sighed once he saw the cigarette. "Thought Shera forced you to quit."

"Fuck that," said Cid. "I love the woman, but not enough to give up my smokes."

Cid looked back at the Bronco and admired his handiwork. After the Shin-Ra shot the plane down five years ago, he thought it would never fly again. But once Meteor was destroyed, Cid spent the better part of the next year rebuilding her until she was as good as new, with some added improvements.

"Reeve say what it is we're supposed to be lookin' for?" asked Cid.

"He said the Turks ran into a monster out here, just wanted us to see for ourselves," said Barret. "Those three ain't exactly the most reliable bunch."

"I'll drink t' that," said Cid.

"Reeve thinks that the hunters probably just missed one during the clean-up, probably nothin' to worry about," said Barret. "Still, you might wanna think about packin'. Just in case."

"Right," said Cid. He opened the door to the Bronco's cabin and withdrew a long spear. There was a strap hanging from it, which he used to sling the spear against his back. He looked at Barret. "What about you?"

Barret just smiled and lifted up his cybernetic hand. With a thought, the hand shifted and transformed into the gattling gun Cid was used to seeing the larger man with. "Need you ask?"

"Right, shoulda known," said Cid. They began to walk through the brush that surrounded Mideel. "Y'know, when the WRO rebuilt this place, woulda been nice for them to clear out these damn trees."

"Quit bitchin'," said Barret. He took the lead.

"Easy for you to say. Not all of us got fancy robot hands."

"Just watch that damn cancer stick of yours. Don't wanna set anything on fire."

"Hey, if I wanted a lecture I'd go visit my goddamn mother," said Cid.

Barret looked back at the gruff pilot. "You kiss her with that mouth?"

"Nah, but I kiss yours with it," said Cid with a grin.

"Man, you lucky I don't break your neck," said Barret.

Cid just laughed. During their work for the WRO, Barret and Cid had grown pretty close. Their relationship pretty much consisted of the two of them taking potshots at each other. But although neither of them would admit it, both were worried that the Turks' story was true and that monsters were starting to pop up again. If they were, then that meant trouble.

* * *

Cloud sat on the Fenrir model motorcycle. Both side compartments were open, with slots for his various swords. He slid each of them inside the respective slot while Binah stood by and watched.

"Those are a lot of swords for one man," said Binah. "Are you a bit paranoid?"

"Nope, just like to be prepared," said Cloud.

The two of them were in the garage attached to the Shin-Ra Mansion. After Gebura went off on his own, they returned to the Mansion to collect supplies and get Fenrir for transport.

"Where'd your brother run off to?" asked Cloud.

"Probably to find the others," said Binah.

"You're all still together?" asked Cloud.

"Of course. We're family."

"But you decided to run off on your own?"

"I wanted to learn more about our father. Gebura insisted on accompanying me. He's a bit rough around the edges, but he means well," said Binah.

Cloud nodded and slid the final sword into place. He hit a switch on the Fenrir and the compartments closed. He hopped off the bike and approached the bench Binah sat on. There was a pack there and he zipped it open to ensure he had everything he needed.

"What's in there?" asked Binah.

"Usual traveling supplies. A tent, few potions, some ethers, remedy or two."

"I thought the monsters were all eliminated. Why do you need all that?"

"Monsters are gone, true. But you never know who you're going to run into out there," said Cloud.

"Such as?" asked Binah.

"Bandits for one. Plus, you never know if the monsters have been completely wiped out in some of the more desolate areas," said Cloud.

"Are we going to any desolate areas?" asked Binah.

Cloud lifted the seat on the Fenrir and revealed another compartment. He dropped his pack inside and snapped the compartment shut. "You wanted to learn about Sephiroth's life, didn't you?" he asked.

Binah nodded.

"Good," said Cloud. He climbed onboard and started the engine. "In that case, there's a place we need to go first."

"Where?" asked Binah, climbing on the bike behind him.

"North, to the Forgotten City. We can catch a ferry at Costa del Sol," said Cloud. "Hold on."

Binah wrapped her arms around Cloud's midsection and pressed her body tightly against his own. She smelled of lilies. Just like her. Cloud pushed that from his mind and slid a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He revved the engine and the Fenrir sped off, leaving Shin-Ra Mansion and Nibelheim to vanish into the horizon.

* * *

The Final Heaven bar in Sector 7 of Midgar was in the throes of the happy hour rush. People from all over the sector stopped in for a drink on the way home from their jobs. Which meant Tifa and Yuffie were busy running back and forth to meet the requests.

The door to the bar opened and Yuffie sighed when she saw it. "Great, more customers…" She set down a tray of shots for a group of young businessmen, but when she looked back at the latest patrons, she almost jumped in shock.

There were three of them, each dressed in a navy-blue suit. One was tall with a bald head, goatee and sunglasses. The other was a young woman with short blonde hair. And the man between them had messy, red hair in a ponytail with sunglasses perched on his forehead. Unlike his companions, his jacket was open, shirt untucked and collar unbuttoned and his tie was nowhere in sight.

"Oh great…" muttered Yuffie once she laid eyes on them. She took the empty tray back to the bar where Tifa was busy filling a glass with beer from the tap. She set down the glass for the waiting customer when Yuffie came up to her.

"You see who just walked in?" she asked.

Tifa looked to the door, hoping for someone else. Instead, she saw the same three Yuffie did and sighed. "Turks? What are they doing here?"

"Beats me," said Yuffie.

The Turks approached an occupied table where three college students sat. Reno tapped one of the men on the shoulder and he turned to look at them. "You're in my seat," said Reno.

"Tough shit," said the man before he turned back to his friends.

Reno tapped the man on the shoulder again. He turned in annoyance. "What?" he asked.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" asked Reno.

"Do I look like I give a shit?" He turned back to his friends again.

"That's the problem with today's youth," said Reno. He withdrew his nightstick and used it to slam the man's head down on the table while he pulled the chair out from under the poor student. "They got no respect for authority."

His friends each got up to help him. Rude grabbed one of them by the neck and lifted him into the air while Elena drew a gun on the third. By this point, everyone in the bar had stood from their seats and gathered around the small group.

"Listen up, college boy," said Reno. "Not sure if you noticed or not, but we're the Turks. Which means if you don't do exactly as we say, we will fuck your shit up."

A sharp, metal object pressed against the back of Reno's neck. Then he heard a voice say, "let him go." He smiled.

"That's a voice I haven't heard in a long time," he said. "How've you been, Yuffie?"

Yuffie held her shuriken in her hand, one of the four points pressed against Reno's neck. Tifa stood by her side, ready to take on the three Turks.

"You heard her, Reno," said Tifa. "Unless you care to be reminded of all the times we kicked your ass five years ago."

Reno chuckled a little and released the student. He nodded to Rude and Elena as well, who both let their own captives go. Reno turned around slowly at first, but then in a quick movement, he grabbed Yuffie's arm, twisted it behind her back and held his nightstick up to her head. The electrified end of it began to spark. Tifa tried to lunge forward, but she dared not unless Reno did something to hurt Yuffie.

"A lot changes in five years, Tifa," said Reno. "Plus, I don't see any spikey-headed swordsmen or guys with gunarms around. So you're pretty much S.O.L."

"I never needed Cloud or Barret to wipe the floor with you," said Tifa. "And if you want, I can prove it."

"Oh baby, you know I love it when you talk dirty," said Reno. "But believe it or not, we didn't come here to fight."

"Got a funny way of showin' it," said Yuffie.

Reno released her arm and kicked her in the back, sending Yuffie stumbling into Tifa's arms. He slid his nightstick beneath his jacket and Elena holstered her guns while Rude relaxed his posture. Reno straightened his jacket and looked at the two young women.

"If you didn't come here to fight, then why did you come to my bar for a drink over all the other bars in Midgar?" asked Tifa.

"We didn't come for a drink, we came to talk," said Elena.

"I say we just call the cops," said Yuffie.

"Tifa, it's important," said Elena.

Tifa looked from Elena to Rude, who just remained as stoic and composed as ever. She then looked at Reno. "How important?"

"Not sure yet, but it could be the start of something big," said Reno.

Tifa looked at Yuffie, then at the customers. She shouted out, "alright everyone, the bar's going to be closed for a little bit."

Moans of discontent were heard from Tifa's announcement. She looked at Reno and pointed to the far corner. "Go to the table in back and we'll talk. You've got fifteen minutes."

"All we need," said Reno.

* * *

Red XIII ran across the field towards the beach. As he grew closer to Costa del Sol, the temperature increased and his fur made him sweat profusely. He leapt from the sandy beach and dove into the water.

It provided him a momentary lapse from the heat of the sun and he relaxed in there for a few minutes, padding around. He looked off into the horizon and saw that the sun was beginning to set. He would need to try to find a boat willing to take him to Junon soon, or else he might not be able to leave tonight. And he had no desire to spend the night in this heat.

Red XIII climbed onto the beach and shook the water from his fur. He looked towards Costa del Sol and then looked back at the road. There was someone walking down it, with a cloak draped over his body. And Red XIII noticed the bandits following him.

Nanaki wasted no more time. He charged forward and leapt into the air, growling as he tackled one of the bandits to the ground. The other two came at him, brandishing daggers. Red XIII bared his teeth at them and prepared to pounce at a moment's notice.

Before Red XIII had a chance to, one of the bandits was attacked by his intended victim. The cloaked man kicked the bandit in the back, sending him toppling. His friends helped him up and the three were back on their feet, circling Red XIII and his newfound ally.

The cloaked man threw his cape open and drew something suspended behind his back. It was a sword. A massive broadsword that looked battle-worn. Red XIII watched in surprise as the man wielded the blade effortlessly, quickly dispatching the three bandits.

The man sheathed the blade and examined the bandits for whatever they carried on them. He withdrew the money they carried and pocketed it for himself. As he went about pillaging the corpses, Red XIII slowly approached him.

"Cloud…?" he asked.

The man stopped. He stood tall and faced Red XIII then pulled his hood back. It wasn't Cloud, as Red XIII had expected. But the resemblance was uncanny and the two men could very well have been mistaken for brothers. The only real difference Red XIII could detect was that this man had spiked black hair instead of Cloud's blond.

"How did you know my name?" he asked. "I've never seen you before in my life."


	5. Clash

Across from Tifa's office was a small break room with a table, mini-fridge and microwave

Across from Tifa's office was a small break room with a table, mini-fridge and microwave. Perhaps a bit unnecessary considering Tifa and Yuffie were the only employees, but it was left behind by the previous tenant.

Reno sat at the table, his feet resting on it as he leaned back in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Rude stood silently in a corner, his arms crossed and his gaze at the floor. And Elena paced nervously around the room.

"Sit down," said Reno. "You're making me dizzy."

"What's taking her so long?" asked Elena.

"It's a packed bar," said Rude. "Give her a break."

"Right, forgot she's your dream girl," said Elena. Rude offered no response, just returned his gaze to the floor.

"Lay off, will ya?" muttered Reno.

"I'm just saying she should've been here by now," said Elena.

Reno took his feet off the table and leaned forward, holding his cigarette between his fingers. "What, you think the hippogriff we _killed _is holding her up? Quit being so paranoid, Elena."

"And what do we do if she doesn't believe us?" asked Elena. "Reeve didn't buy our story."

"Reeve's a douchebag," said Reno. "That little rat played for both sides five years ago, and now he's the bigwig around here. He weaseled his way into Cloud's group just to save his own ass."

"He _did _keep us out of jail," said Elena. "Despite our own crimes when the Turks worked with Shin-Ra."

Reno waved his hand in dismissal. "Whatever. Point is, he's a scumbag. Tifa's at least got standards. Well… except for her taste in men. Right, Rude?"

Rude offered no response.

"You know what they say about scumbags, Reno—"

The door to the room opened and Tifa stood there with Yuffie by her side.

"—it takes one to know one."

"Pleasure to see you again, Tifa, you're looking as good as ever," said Reno. "Rude, doesn't Tifa look good?"

Rude looked up, his eyes connecting with Tifa's from behind his sunglasses. He quickly looked back at his feet.

"What's this about?" asked Tifa, taking a seat across from Reno. Yuffie stood by the door, still holding her shuriken as she eyed both Rude and Elena cautiously.

"How about we get a show of good faith first?" asked Yuffie.

"My show of good faith wasn't pumping your ninja-wannabe ass with electricity," said Reno.

Yuffie raised her shuriken but Tifa stood and blocked her path. "No," she said. "No fighting."

Tifa looked at Reno. "Weapons on the table. Now."

"That include your sticky-fingered friend?"

"I haven't stole anything in—"

"Yuffie," said Tifa. "Put down your shuriken."

"But—"

"Do it!" said Tifa, shooting her friend a glare.

Yuffie mumbled a Wutain curse and laid her shuriken on the table. Tifa looked at Reno and motioned to him. "Your turn."

Reno reached inside his jacket and pulled out his nightstick, laying it beside the shuriken. Tifa looked at Elena and the blonde woman removed her Quicksilvers from their holsters and set them down as well. Finally, Tifa turned to Rude.

"You carrying anything?"

Rude shook his head.

"Didn't think so," said Tifa. She looked at Reno. "Now, I'm getting sick of repeating myself, but what's this all about?"

Reno took a drag on his cigarette and leaned back in his chair, propping up his feet once again. "A bunch of college students from Midgar went missing while vacationing in Mideel. One of them happened to be the daughter of a big shot at the WRO. He felt the Mideel cops were doing a piss-poor job with the investigation, so he hired us."

"_His_ mistake…" muttered Yuffie.

"Did you find them?" asked Tifa.

"Yeah," said Reno. "Or what was left of them anyway."

"What was left--?"

"They were killed," said Elena. "By a hippogriff."

Tifa paused in shock. She looked at Yuffie, whose expression was the same. "But… that's not possible. Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, seeing as how we tangled with the bastard ourselves," said Reno. "We took him down and naturally, this posed some questions."

"Did you see Reeve?" asked Tifa.

"Oh yeah, we saw Reeve." Reno took another drag on his cigarette. "He blew some smoke up our collective ass about the hunters probably missing one a few years back."

"But you don't believe him," said Tifa.

"Nope."

"Why would Reeve lie?" asked Tifa. "A mako reactor isn't exactly something you can keep hidden."

"I'm not saying he was lying, just saying he's not taking this seriously," said Reno.

"What do you expect me to do?" asked Tifa. "I'm just a bartender."

"What I'm guessing is that if there are monsters popping back up and it's not because of mako reactors, then something else is happening. Something bad," said Reno. "And if that's the case, we could use some help. Y'know, help of the Jenova-infused variety…"

Tifa's shoulders slumped. "I don't know where Cloud is."

"Thought you two were groin buddies," said Reno.

Tifa's hand moved like lightning across the table and slapped Reno hard against his cheek. His entire head rocked to the side and a red mark in the shape of her palm was left. He gently rubbed it.

"Ow."

He looked at her and she had a glare in her eyes. This made him smile. "Well, well, well… how long's it been since you heard from him?"

"Almost two years," said Tifa.

"Guess you just weren't good enough for him," said Reno. "He always seemed to prefer older women… what's the word I'm looking for…?"

"Reno…" said Rude.

"Oh yeah, that's it!" Reno snapped his fingers, then looked directly at Tifa. "Ancient."

Tifa stood from her seat, her chair falling to the ground. She reached across the table and grabbed Reno by his collar, pulling him onto the table as she retracted her fist. Elena made a move for one of her guns, but Yuffie delivered a swift kick to the Turk's jaw.

"Stop."

The voice belonged to Rude, who approached the table. He removed his sunglasses and looked Tifa directly in the eyes.

"This is important, Tifa. You know that."

Tifa looked into Rude's eyes. Slowly, she released her grip on Reno's collar and he pulled away. He took out a fresh cigarette and began to light it.

"Do you know where we can find Cloud?" asked Rude.

She shook her head. "I don't know…"

"What about someone else?" asked Elena.

"Cid and Barret are surveying oil fields," said Tifa. "They should be back soon, though. No one's heard from Vincent in years. That leaves Red XIII in Cosmo Canyon. If something's going on with the Lifestream, the elders may already know about it."

"Cosmo Canyon it is," said Reno. He stood from the chair and straightened his jacket. "Let's move out, troops."

"Not alone," said Tifa.

Reno looked over his shoulder as he stepped out the door. "'Scuse me?"

"I'm going with you," said Tifa.

"I knew you couldn't resist me," said Reno with a smile. Tifa smiled back and then kneed him in the crotch.

"UGH!"

Reno doubled over in pain and Tifa stepped over him. "If something bad's going down, I don't trust the Turks to handle it. Let's go."

As Rude walked by, Reno grabbed his pant leg. Rude hefted his old friend to his feet and leaned him against the wall.

"So how we getting to Cosmo Canyon?" asked Yuffie, moving by Tifa's side.

"What do you mean 'we'?" asked Tifa.

"Please, you think I'm gonna let you have all the fun while I'm stuck here pushing drinks?"

"I need someone to mind the bar," said Tifa.

"Then I quit," said Yuffie. "So, how we gettin' to Cosmo Canyon?"

* * *

The black-haired man sat on the beach, watching the setting sun. He opened his canteen and took a drink of water. Red XIII walked up to his side and the man offered the canteen to him.

"If you wouldn't mind…?" asked Red XIII.

"Oh right, sorry," said the man. He lifted the canteen and poured the water into the creature's mouth. Once he was done, Red XIII nodded a thank you.

"That sword you have," said Red XIII. "I've only seen one other man use it before."

"Oh this?" asked the man. He patted the large broadsword with a faint smile. "It belonged to a friend of mine. He died a long time ago, trying to defend me with it."

"You said… your name was Cloud."

The man nodded. "That's right, Cloud from Nibelheim, that's me."

"But you don't know who I am," said Red XIII.

'Cloud' shook his head.

"I knew a man named Cloud," said Red XIII. "Looked just like you. Fought like you. With a sword like that. Except he had blond hair."

"Interesting coincidence," said 'Cloud.'

"At one point, Cloud's memories—my Cloud, that is—his memories were muddled," said Red XIII. "They mixed with the memories of a friend of his, a man named Zack Fair."

'Cloud' perked up at the mention of that name. "He knew Zack?"

Red XIII nodded slowly.

"Zack… he's the friend I mentioned," said 'Cloud.'

"What happened to him?" asked Red XIII.

"Must've been five years ago…" said 'Cloud.' "Zack was in SOLDIER, I was just a simple peace officer assigned to his unit as an escort. We were in Nibelheim, my hometown. Sephiroth was with us… he… went crazy. I was able to stop him, but the next thing I knew, I was in a tube or something, being experimented on. Zack broke me out and he took me to Midgar. Said we were gonna be mercenaries together. But once we got to Midgar, we were attacked by Shin-Ra troops. Zack came to my defense, but they killed him. I was really out of it and they left me for dead. I came to and picked up his sword, swearing I'd live out both our lives."

Red XIII nodded. "Fascinating story. You say it happened five years ago…?"

'Cloud' nodded.

"How old are you?" asked Red XIII.

"Twenty-one," he said.

"Cloud… how long has it been since you awakened?"

"A few months, I think," he said. "I awoke in a cave near Midgar, found my sword stuck in the ground, and crossed over here from Junon. I was actually heading towards Nibelheim, see if maybe there were any survivors who rebuilt the town after what happened."

"You won't find anything at Nibelheim, I'm afraid," said Red XIII. "The town has been rebuilt, but it's deserted."

"What?" asked 'Cloud.' "Why would they rebuild it only to desert it?"

"Shin-Ra rebuilt it, replaced all the townspeople with actors, to cover up what happened," said Red XIII. "Cloud… there's something you should know."

"What?"

"It hasn't been five years since Sephiroth destroyed Nibelheim, it's been ten," said Red XIII. "Junon used to be a base for Shin-Ra's air force. Did you see any Shin-Ra logos there?"

'Cloud' paused and considered what Red XIII had just told him. He thought back to when he was in Junon. He tried to think of whether or not he witnessed anything with Shin-Ra's name on it, racked his brain but couldn't come up with anything.

"I can't really remember," he said. "I mean, I probably just didn't notice, since Shin-Ra's name is everywhere these days."

"You didn't notice because you didn't see any," said Red XIII. "Shin-Ra was overthrown five years after Sephiroth destroyed Nibelheim."

'Cloud' looked off into the distance, considering this statement. After a few moments of zoning out, he shook his head and began to chuckle.

"You're a funny guy," he said. "You almost had me going for a bit."

Red XIII shook his head now. "I'm not joking. This is the truth. Ten years ago, you _did _witness the destruction of Nibelheim and you _were _attacked outside of Midgar. But those experiments you remember? Your memories mixed with the real Cloud's, which is why your own memory is so foggy right now. You're not Cloud Strife."

'Cloud' stood at this, wrapping his fingers around his sword's hilt.

"You're Zack Fair," said Red XIII.

Zack reacted as one might expect, swinging his broadsword in a wide arc. Red XIII leapt away in the nick of time. Zack pulled himself into a combative stance, holding his sword in an almost identical fashion to Cloud.

"Zack, please, listen to me," said Red XIII.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Zack charged forward, raising his sword up. Red XIII concentrated and an orb on his headdress began to glow bright green. When Zack brought his sword down, it struck a gray barrier.

Red XIII concentrated again and a different orb began to glow an identical color. Flames suddenly erupted around Zack's body, catching his cloak on fire. He tore it off, stomping the flames on the ground. Beneath his cloak was a First Class SOLDIER outfit identical to the one Cloud wore five years earlier.

"Fancy stuff," said Zack. "Looks like you've got some materia of your own, eh?"

"You have to listen to me, I don't want to fight you."

"I don't know who you are, but you are working my last nerve…" said Zack. "If you don't stop, I'm going to—"

"Aerith."

Zack paused. A face flashed in his mind's eye. A young girl. Chestnut-brown hair and the brightest green eyes he'd ever seen. He had no clear memory of her, but that name brought flashes of this girl.

"You recognize that name, don't you?" asked Red XIII. "Aerith Gainsborough. The flower girl from Midgar."

Zack's sword fell to the ground.

"The two of you were together," he continued. "I knew her as well."

Zack's hand went to his pocket. He pulled out a small photograph, one that had become weathered by age. The girl in the photo was the same one who had flashed in his memory. On the back of the photo was a message.

_Come back safe, Love Aerith_

He dropped the picture on the sand between him and Red XIII and turned back towards the water. Red XIII padded over to it and looked at the photo. She was younger in the photo, around seventeen, but there was no mistake—it was Aerith.

"That face…"

Red XIII looked at Zack and slowly approached him.

"The message she wrote…"

He walked up beside the former SOLDIER, looking up at him. Zack hung his head low, tears beginning to form at the edge of his eyes.

"It's been haunting me… ever since I woke up," he said. "I don't remember her. Why can't I remember her?"

"Because your memories are fractured, just as Cloud's were," said Red XIII. "Come with me to Midgar. Together, we can help you rediscover who you really are."

Zack wiped the tears away. "Why Midgar? Is she there?"

Red XIII paused. Zack was in a fragile state right now and he was worried if he told the man of Aerith's death, it might drive him over the edge once again. And this time, Red XIII had no way of bringing him back.

"We'll discuss that later," said Red XIII. "Suffice to say, there is something strange going on and I have a feeling your awakening at this particular time is more than a simple coincidence."

* * *

Cloud pulled Fenrir into a parking spot for the ferry. He wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes to block the sun but Binah had no such protection. "Sure you don't want anything to guard you against the sun?" he asked.

"No, thank you," said Binah. She climbed off the bike. "The elements hardly bother me. I rarely notice when it's hot or cold and the sun's rays are nothing to me."

"Lucky you," said Cloud. He opened up the seat compartment and pulled out a canteen, taking a generous swig from it. He gestured towards Binah with it.

"Please," she said. Cloud tossed the canteen to her and she took a quick drink from it before tossing it back. She walked along the pier, looking out over the sea. "So Midgar is beyond there."

"That's right," said Cloud.

"How long has it been since you were there?"

He shrugged. "About two years or so, I think. Before I returned to Nibelheim."

He placed the canteen back in the compartment and closed it up. "But we're not going to Midgar."

"I know, the Forgotten City," said Binah.

"There's a ferry that goes to the northern continent," said Cloud. "From there, we proceed through the Sleeping Forest to get to the Forgotten City."

"And then?" asked Binah.

"Then you discover more about your father."


	6. Falling Down

"Yes, I understand you're with the WRO," said the

"Yes, I understand you're with the WRO," said a man in a police uniform. He opened the door to an office and motioned to two chairs seated in front of his desk. Barret and Cid followed him into the office and took their seats. The officer sat behind the desk.

"So why can't you be a bit more helpful?" asked Barret.

The officer sighed. "Look, Mr. Wallace, the truth is that as tragic as it was, those kids were victims of an accident."

"Can we take a look at the bodies?" asked Cid.

"No."

"An' why the fuck not?"

"Well for starters, your WRO credentials don't say a thing about forensics," said the officer. "And second, even if you _did _have the proper authorization—and I'm sure you could get it—the bodies have already been shipped back to Midgar."

"While the investigation's still open?" asked Cid.

"We examined the bodies," said the officer. "It looks like they were attacked by an animal. Trust me, no human could have done that."

"Yeah, we got that," said Barret. "But what kind of animal?"

The officer shrugged. "I don't know… maybe it was a wolf."

"Get a lot of wolf attacks this far south?" asked Barret.

"What exactly is it you're so suspicious of?"

"Monsters," said Cid.

The officer began to laugh.

"I say somethin' funny?" asked Cid.

"Yeah, you kinda did," said the officer. "Look, I've been in Mideel every day since it was rebuilt and after the hunters killed 'em all off, there hasn't been a monster sighting in _years_."

"Ain't what we heard," said Barret.

"Did your source have any proof?" asked the officer.

"Just what they saw," said Cid.

"Then if I were you, I'd question the reliability of those sources," said the officer.

"Fair enough," said Barret. "Thanks f'r your time."

"Anything I can do to help out the WRO after all you've done for my town," said the officer. He shook Barret's flesh hand, but Cid just walked out. Once they left the police station, Cid looked at his partner.

"So what the hell was that all about?" he asked.

"Whaddaya mean?" asked Barret.

"Five years ago, you would've threatened to jam that gun up his ass if he didn't come clean."

"How do you know he wasn't tellin' the truth?" asked Barret. "Remember, we got our intel from _Reno_. After all the shit those damn Turks have caused, I ain't about t' trust 'em."

"Yeah, I get that," said Cid. "But what I wanna know is what reason do they got t' lie? Shin-Ra's outta the picture an' the Turks are just working stiffs these days."

"Reeve said Reno tried to get the three of them a contract with the WRO," said Barret. "Maybe Reno was just runnin' a grift."

"'Grift'? Who the fuck talks like that?" asked Cid.

"Shaddup an' smoke a cigarette before you have a nicotine fit." Barret pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number for Reeve's cell phone. "Yo Reeve, it's Barret. We spoke t' the cops out here in Mideel an' they said it was just an animal attack, nothin' more. Reno was just tryin' to run a scam to get you to hire the Turks for a bullshit job."

Cid walked a few steps ahead and began to light a cigarette. At the edge of the forest, near the beach, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Hmm?"

He walked towards the beach, taking the spear from off his back and holding it in his hands. His boots slowly stepped into the sand and his eyes darted from left to right. The cigarette rested between his lips and he puffed on it anxiously as he searched the beach.

A roar came from the trees and Cid turned. The cigarette fell from his lips.

* * *

Cloud had trouble sleeping. The cabin they got on the ferry wasn't very large, but it was enough to accommodate both him and Binah with separate futons. Still, sleep continued to elude him.

He sat up and looked at his companion. She looked peaceful as she slumbered, her hair spilling perfectly over her pillow. She slept in the clothes she wore during the day. If anyone else wore a leather outfit that covered most of their skin, they would be dripping sweat in their sleep. Yet Binah seemed perfectly at ease. Obviously she hadn't been exaggerating when she said the elements had no effect on her.

He shook his head. He was staring at her. He needed some air. Cloud went to the cabin door and stepped outside. The cabins were below deck and he took the stairs to the top level. He walked around the ship, looking out over the calm sea.

Standing at the front of the boat, he leaned against the guardrail. Is this how it was going to be? Him living in solitude for the rest of his life? And he wondered about what Binah said to him when they met, how he claimed to hate Sephiroth, yet surrounded himself with the man's legacy. It was a strange dichotomy, and one that Cloud had no answers for.

"Can't sleep?"

Binah came up next to him, leaning against the railing as well. Cloud looked at her and she looked back at him with those glowing, green eyes. They had the mako glow, just as Sephiroth's eyes did. However, her eyes were far kinder. There was a warmth to them.

Like her.

Cloud put that thought out of his mind. Or tried to anyway. She inched closer to him, still looking at him. He could feel her gaze piercing him.

"Is that the northern continent in the distance?" she asked.

"Mmm," said Cloud. He pointed. "You see those white points over the horizon? That's the Great Glacier."

"Ahh," she said. "Have you climbed it?"

"Yeah, five years ago," said Cloud.

"When you were tracking my father."

He paused. Then nodded. "Yes. Your father."

Binah lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, I know how much you hate him. I really shouldn't refer to him as my father."

"You can't help who your parents are," said Cloud.

"I never knew him, not personally," she said. "What about you? What about your father?"

"My father…?" asked Cloud. "I don't really know my father that well, either. He died when I was a kid. So it was just me and my mother. Then when I was fourteen, I left for Midgar to join SOLDIER."

"You were in SOLDIER?"

"No," said Cloud. "It's a long story."

"What do you think is waiting for us at the Forgotten City?"

"Nothing," said Cloud. "It's a ghost town. Literally. No one's lived there for decades, maybe even centuries."

"How long before we get there?"

He shrugged. "Few days."

"Cloud…"

"Yeah?"

He turned to Binah and almost instantly, she pressed her lips against his. But then she pulled away just as abruptly, leaving Cloud in stunned silence.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have… I was just curious."

Cloud pulled her close to him and returned the kiss. This time, it didn't end abruptly.

* * *

The trek from Midgar to Junon was several hours by train, the only real method of travel available to Tifa, Yuffie and the Turks, A flight was too expensive at such short notice and traveling by car would be much longer. And Tifa had no intention of spending more time with Reno than she had to.

In order to save gil, the five rode together in a single cabin. It was a little tight, but far more comfortable than a car would have been. Tifa and Yuffie sat on one side with the Turks on the other and they rode in relative silence.

"So this thing goes through the mountains, huh?" asked Reno.

Elena nodded. "They wanted to build it through the marsh at first. But the Midgar Zolom killed a few surveyors."

Reno looked over at Tifa. "How'd you guys get around during your world tour? Before you hijacked the airship."

"The Highwind was Cid's to begin with," said Tifa. "Shin-Ra took it from _him._"

Reno waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah. So how did you travel?"

"By foot for the most part. We hopped trains here and there where we could and avoided ID checkpoints," said Tifa. "Then Dio gave us a buggy. Not long after that, we got the Highwind."

"Must've been nice travelin' around in comfort like that," said Reno.

"You would know," said Tifa. "Our pursuers always rode in more comfort than we ever did."

Reno took out a cigarette and began to light it. Yuffie began to cough obnoxiously loud.

"You gotta do that here?" she asked.

He sighed and removed the cigarette from his mouth. "You got a problem, teenybopper?"

"Just get that damn thing outta my face," said Yuffie.

"Fine." Reno walked to the cabin door. "I'll be at the bar, get myself something to drink. It's a bit too uptight in here." He looked at Rude and Elena. "You guys comin'?"

"Yeah, I suppose," said Elena, standing.

"Rude?"

Rude looked at Reno and Elena, then at Tifa and Yuffie.

"I think I'll stay," he said. "I'm tired."

Reno shrugged. "Yeah, tired. Sure thing."

Once the door closed, Rude turned his attention to the window, watching the scenery as it flew past them.

"Thank you," said Tifa.

It took Rude a moment to register that the comment was directed at him. He looked at Tifa with a hint of surprise on his face. "I'm sorry?"

"I said thank you."

"For what?"

"Back at the bar," said Tifa. "Thank you. For not being an asshole."

Rude's face reddened a bit and he looked down. "Don't mention it."

"How the hell did you get the name 'Rude' anyway?" asked Yuffie. "Seems like it fits Reno better."

Rude shrugged. "A nickname someone once gave me. Because I didn't talk growing up."

"Y'know, there's something I've always wanted to ask you," said Tifa.

Rude's face shot up and he looked at Tifa. If not for his sunglasses, she could read the eager anticipation in his eyes.

"Your fighting style…" she said. "Who taught you that?"

He sighed. "Shin-Ra made sure the Turks were well-trained."

"No, it's more than that," she said. "The way you fight, it's different from other people who have been trained by Shin-Ra."

Rude sat up. "Before I joined Shin-Ra, I lived in the slums. My mother… worked in Wall Market."

"Whaddaya mean by that?" asked Yuffie and Tifa shot her a look. Yuffie instantly understood. "Oh…"

"I got into a lot of fights… ones I couldn't win," said Rude. "And a man taught me how to defend myself."

"Who?" asked Tifa.

"His name was Zangan."

Tifa paused. "Seriously?"

"Yes," said Rude. "Why?"

She put her hand on her chest. "He trained me, too."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna get some air."

She left the cabin, leaving Rude and Tifa on there on. Silence passed between them once more.

"Why do you do it?" asked Tifa. "Work for Reno, I mean."

"We've been partners for a long time," said Rude.

"But he's such a pain," said Tifa.

"He can be, but he has good qualities as well. You just can't see them right now."

"Like what?" asked Tifa.

"Originally, Reno said we were going to go to Reeve so he would hire us for this case," said Rude. "But even after Reeve turned us down, Reno still wanted to find out what was going on. We're losing work and money by pursuing this."

"And how do you feel about that?" asked Tifa.

He shrugged.

* * *

The small speedboat sped across the southern waters. The sun brightly shone in Gebura's eyes, but he paid no attention to it. The boat sped up before coming to a stop and getting stuck on the beach of a small island.

He ran a hand through his short, silver hair, picked up his sword, and climbed off the boat. Once he was off, he pushed it back into the water and once it was far enough in, it began to float away. There were many small islands around here, so if people did try to find the man who killed the boat's actual owner, they'd have quite a search on their hands.

Although in some ways, Gebura hoped they would come for him. After what happened with Binah and Cloud, he felt the need to blow off some steam with some good, old-fashioned head-cracking.

Gebura drew his sword and used it to clear the brush that blocked his path. He wielded the blade effortlessly, slashing through the branches without breaking stride for a second. After a few minutes, he reached the forest's edge and a rickety old wooden bridge.

On the other side of the bridge was what appeared to be a giant crater in the ground. It was on this spot that the Temple of Ancients once stood before it was converted to the black materia by Sephiroth. Gebura jumped into the crater and once he did, the image shifted. Nine people, all with silver hair, green eyes and garbed in black leather, milled about. A glamour kept unwanted visitors from seeing their hidden location, although the chances of any visitors even coming here were slim.

One of the men approached. Of all of them, it was he who bore the closest resemblance to Sephiroth. His hair was long, spilling down his back with bangs perfectly framing his face. Hanging from his belt was a replicate of the Masamune, the blade the famed SOLDIER wielded in his lifetime.

"Where's Binah?" he asked.

"She's with _him_," said Gebura, hissing the last word.

"So you found him," he said.

"It's dangerous to leave her with him, Keter," said Gebura. "He'll poison her mind with his lies."

Keter placed a hand on Gebura's shoulder and offered a warm smile. "Patience, my brother. Patience. Binah needs to hear these lies firsthand. Only then can she understand the truth."

"But if she's allowed to remain with that… that… black sheep…"

"Shhh." Keter placed a finger against Gebura's lips. "All will be well, my brother. Let Binah travel with Strife. Let her hear his lies. But when the time is right, she'll come back to us. And when that time comes, Strife will play a very integral role in the coming reunion."


	7. Come Together

"Yeah, so we got this pretty much wrapped up, so we headin' back to Midgar now," said Barret

"Yeah, so we got this pretty much wrapped up, so we headin' back to Midgar now," said Barret. "We'll see you in a few hours an' give you the low—"

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!"

Barret recognized Cid's familiar scream and looked over to the beach and saw him leaping as a giant sea worm nearly devoured him whole. Barret's jaw hung open and it wasn't until he heard Reeve's voice shouting his name that he came to his senses.

"Uhh Reeve? Yeah, we gotta problem… looks like Reno was tellin' the truth."

"_He was?!"_

"I'll get back t' you later," said Barret. He turned off the phone and put it in his pocket. His cybernetic hand began to shift, converting itself into a gattling gun. Barret charged forward and raised his arm, firing off round after round at the sea worm.

The endeavor was a success because the creature turned its attention towards him. "Aww fuck me…" said Barret.

The sea worm coiled itself and then sprung forward, its massive jaw gearing for Barret. Cid leapt onto its back and jammed his spear into its head. The creature threw its head back in pain and Cid clutched to the spear, holding on as the sea worm swung him back and forth. After several tries, the creature finally succeeded and Cid lost his grip, flying into the water.

A chamber on Barret's gattling gun snapped open and the spent shells fell from it. He dug through his pockets and loaded a fresh clip of bullets into the chamber. Before he could snap it into place, he felt a presence behind him and turned. The sea worm's mouth opened and it roared.

But before it could devour Barret, something struck it and it turned. Barret's attention followed the sea worm and he saw a blur of red streak across the sky. Round after round fired from what sounded like a shotgun, but it was too fast for Barret to see.

The figure flew across the sky and what was once a red streak now expanded, as if it had wings made of tattered cloth. The form of a man descended from the air, wielding a triple-barreled shotgun in one hand. His other hand was gold, the fingers coming to razor-sharp points. That golden claw sliced into the sea worm's throat, causing it to spill out its vital fluids all over the beach before it fell down, lying dead. The man landed beside it, just as Cid emerged from the water.

"Looks like I missed all the fun," said the pilot. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a pack of cigarettes, only to frown and toss them away. "Those are fuckin' useless now."

Barret and Cid both approached the man clad in red and black. His long, dark hair almost completely concealed his face, which was a pasty-white color. But beneath his bangs, they could see his glowing, demonic red eyes.

"Well, well, look who came outta hiding," said Cid. "Been a long time, Vincent."

Vincent eyed the two of them carefully, then turned away, his cape billowing behind him. "Come. We have much to discuss."

* * *

Reno drained the copper liquid from his glass, then placed it on the counter, the ice clinking together. He slid the empty glass and pointed a finger into it, signaling to the bartender that he wanted a refill.

"Should you really be drinking heavily if we're going on a job?" asked Elena. She carefully sipped her gin and tonic, still nursing the first one whereas Reno was going for his third whiskey.

"Elena, you have any idea how many jobs I've done drunk?"

"No."

"Quite a few," said Reno. "If Shin-Ra knew about it, they probably would've promoted Rude to succeed Tseng instead of me."

"This isn't going to be a simple job, though," said Elena. "We should be in good shape."

"Relax, we've still got a boat to take from Junon and then we've gotta get from Costa del Sol to Cosmo Canyon. Gives me plenty of time to sober up."

"You're _so_ professional, Reno."

Reno looked over his shoulder and saw Yuffie approaching them. He scoffed. "Great. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Felt like going for a walk," said Yuffie. "An' someone's gotta keep tabs on you."

"As I recall, I almost fried your ass back in Midgar."

"That's 'cause you got the drop on me." She signaled the bartender and he walked over. "You got any Wutain beer?"

The bartender nodded and opened a fridge. He pulled out a bottle with a label in Wutain script. Once he popped it open, he set it down in front of her.

"Seven gil," he said.

"Seven?" asked Yuffie. "Damn…"

The bartender shrugged. "It's imported."

"Ah well," she said. She produced a small bag filled with coins and fished in it. After some searching, she found a coin with the number ten inscribed on it and handed it to the bartender. He gave her the change and then moved to another customer.

"I hope you don't think we're paying you for this," said Yuffie.

"Maybe you should," said Reno. "Someone's gotta watch your back."

"I've got friends who can take care of that."

"Yeah, friends," said Reno.

Yuffie looked at him angrily. "An' what's that supposed to mean?"

Reno shrugged. "Right now, it's just you an' Tifa. Assuming you can get that lion to come with, that's three. Then there's the has-been pilot and the washed-up terrorist, both of whom are gettin' on in years. But your heaviest hitters, the ones who could cause the most damamge? No one's heard from them in _years_."

"We'll find Cloud and Vincent," said Yuffie. "And if we don't, we'll take care of this without them."

"Not without the Turks, you won't," said Reno.

"Oh yeah, because you guys are _such _badasses," said Yuffie. "After all, it's not like we beat the shit outta you all over Gaia or anything…"

Elena stood from the bar. "I think I'm going to go outside for a cigarette…"

"You don't smoke," said Reno.

"This conversation makes me wish I did," said Elena. She left them and Reno shook his head.

"Just great. Now I'm stuck here with the wonder-brat. Aren't you too young to be drinking anyway?"

"I'm twenty-one."

"Whatever."

"You're an asshole, Reno."

"Those were my mother's dying words," said Reno.

_"Attention all passengers, we are making our approach to Junon. Please return to your cabins."_

"Guess I'll see you back there," said Yuffie. "Enjoy your drink."

The bartender came up to Reno once Yuffie left. Reno looked up at him. "So what's the damage?"

"Twenty-five gil," said the bartender.

"For three whiskeys?"

"Plus the blonde's drink."

"Right, right…" muttered Reno. He reached into his pocket and his eyes widened. He started patting down his suit, fishing through his pockets, but he found nothing. Elena walked up to him at that moment and saw him fumbling.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said. "I can't find my money."

He recalled the small bag Yuffie held her gil in. And he realized how similar it was to his.

"That little bitch…" he muttered.

* * *

Barret and Cid followed Vincent into a clearing a few miles away from Mideel. In the center of the clearing was a small pond made up of a bright, green liquid and the liquid shot up slightly in a fountain.

"What's this?" asked Cid.

"I suppose you could call it a mako fountain," said Vincent.

"What's this all about?" asked Barret, sitting beside the fountain. Cid took a seat on a log, resting on his spear as he lit a cigarette. Vincent simply stood before them, his arms folded across his chest.

"I know why you're both here," he began. "The missing students from Midgar, right?"

"Yeah, the Turks were hired to look for 'em an' they were attacked by a monster," said Barret. "They told Reeve, Reeve asked us t' look into it."

"It's not the first time it's happened over here," said Vincent. "There have been several instances of monster attacks around Mideel, they've just been misreported."

"But why?" asked Cid. "Somethin' like that's dangerous t' cover up."

"Mayor's probably afraid monster reports would stop tourists from comin' down," said Barret.

"The most-likely cause," said Vincent. "But you're asking the wrong questions. It's not why is Mideel covering up the monster attacks, the question should be why have monsters returned?"

"An' I'd bet the Bronco you've got an answer," said Cid. "Speakin' of which, why are you down here anyway? It's obviously not to work on your tan."

"I've spent the past few years in the Crystal Cave, returning to the slumber you all found me in," said Vincent. "Surrounded by Lucrecia's essence."

"So what woke you up this time?" asked Cid.

"The planet," said Vincent. "I could sense a disturbance in the Lifestream and someone… called to me. I was drawn here, to Mideel."

"Whaddaya mean someone called to you?" asked Barret.

"It may have been Lucrecia," said Vincent. "Or perhaps it was someone else who returned to the planet."

"Now that don't make no sense," said Barret. "You an' Aerith weren't close. Why'd she call t' you instead of Cloud or Tifa?"

Vincent shrugged. "Perhaps because unlike you, I walk a fine line between life and death. I have my feet planted in both worlds and the experiments performed on me bonded me with the planet in a way none of you are."

"So what've you found since you got here?" asked Cid.

"When I arrived, it was shortly after the students were killed. I had begun to track the monster responsible, but then the Turks showed up. I left it to them as I investigated Mideel and found more instances of deaths that couldn't have been caused by anything other than monsters."

"Judgin' by that sea worm we tangled with, looks like it's not an isolated incident, either," said Cid.

Vincent shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"Alright, we know what's goin' on, but what we don't know is what's causin' it," said Barret. "So howzabout you spill, Vinny?"

Vincent cringed at that nickname but nodded. "I'm not entirely sure, but I know the answer is in this southern area. Mideel is one area of the planet where the Lifestream can emerge, as this fountain proves, and as we know from our own time here. That could explain the monsters appearing here but not elsewhere. However, I think there's another avenue we should look at."

"Which is?" asked Cid.

"The Temple of Ancients," said Vincent. "Or rather, what remains of it. There, we might be able to find some answers."

* * *

Red XIII and Zack disembarked from the ship, walking through the crowded streets of Junon. The ride over had been quiet, neither of them choosing to say much to the other. Just finding Zack had been a shock to Red XIII, and the fact that his Jenova cells had manufactured a personality so similar to Cloud's was nothing short of shocking.

"Do you remember being here before?" asked Red XIII.

"Barely," said Zack. "It's weird. I don't have any memories of being in Junon, but it feels familiar."

"It's likely this was your port of arrival when you left Gongaga," said Red XIII.

"Probably."

"We can secure a train to Midgar nearby, the trip should only take a few hours," said Red XIII. "Then we can meet with Reeve and get to the bottom of thi—"

"OH MY GOD!!"

Red XIII turned around and saw a young woman with short, dark hair running up to him. "Yuffie…?"

The young ninja practically knocked him over as she fell to the ground to throw her arms around him.

"RED!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S YOU!! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' HERE, YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS, WE WERE COMIN' TO SEE YOU!!"

"Slow down, Yuffie," said Red XIII. She calmed down and released him. Red XIII shook out his fur and then looked past Yuffie to see Tifa walking towards them—with the Turks. Red XIII's instincts took over and he growled at the three former Shin-Ra operatives.

"Easy, Red," said Tifa. "They're on our side."

"For now, anyway," said Reno.

Zack moved closer to the group, his eyes fixed on one of them in particular. As he approached, she took notice and looked at him, her own eyes filled with shock. It was a face she hadn't seen in ten years.

"Tifa…" he said.

"…Zack?" asked Tifa. "But… how?"

Zack threw his arms around her. "Tifa!"

Tifa looked at Red XIII in confusion. She had only known Zack briefly over the course of a few days during his time in Nibelheim. Hardly enough to warrant such a passionate reaction from him.

"His memories are muddled," said Red XIII. "Just like the Jenova cells in Cloud's body created a new persona for himself based on your memories, the Jenova's cells in Zack's body did something similar—except the personality they created in him made him believe he _was _Cloud."

"…I have a headache," said Reno.

"Matters dealing with Jenova have that effect on people," said Red XIII. "Why are you here? Yuffie said you were on your way to Cosmo Canyon…?"

"Let's go find somewhere we can talk," said Tifa. "It'd be a lot more comfortable than standing out here in a crowd."

"Follow me," said Reno.

He led the group through the streets of Junon. They entered a small bar and as soon as the bartender caught sight of the Turks, he went over to a table and told the people sitting there to leave. They were about to protest until they saw the Turks as well and then got up.

"The usual, Reno?" asked the bartender.

"Nah, just get us a pitcher of beer and some glasses," said Reno.

The bartender pointed to Red XIII. "I don't want pets in here, though."

"I assure you, I'm no pet," said Red XIII with a hint of a growl in his voice. The bartender was taken aback.

"Leave him be, this guy helped save your ass five years back from Sephiroth," said Reno.

The bartender nodded and left to get the drinks.

"Okay, here's the story," said Reno, lighting a cigarette. "A bunch of students from Midgar went missing. One of them had a dad who worked for the WRO. He hired us to find them and we did… what was _left _of them. Turns out they'd been done in by a monster—a hippogriff."

"That would explain it…" said Red XIII.

"Explain what?" asked Tifa.

"In Cosmo Canyon, I felt a disturbance in the Lifestream, as did the shamans," said Red XIII. "There is something coming, Tifa. Something which I believe is connected to Sephiroth. I was en route to Midgar to speak to Reeve when I ran into Zack here."

"What is it?" asked Tifa.

"I'm not certain," said Red XIII. "But a disturbance like this hasn't been felt in five years. Not since—"

"Sephiroth," said Tifa.

"Sephiroth?" asked Zack. He grabbed Tifa's shoulder. "That's not possible, Sephiroth's dead."

"Twice over, in fact," said Red XIII. "It's a long story, Zack. We'll fill you in on our journey."

"I… umm… I have a question about that journey," said Elena.

The rest of the group looked to her. She took a sip of her beer before continuing.

"Where _are _we going?" she asked. "We were going to Cosmo Canyon to find Red XIII but now that we've found him, we don't really know much more and we don't know where we're going."

Yuffie shrugged. "I hate to admit it, but she's got a point."

"Indeed," said Red XIII. "Has Reeve said anything about this?"

"We went to him first," said Reno. "He said we were just overreacting. So we went to Tifa instead."

"I tried to find Vincent in the Crystal Cave, but there was no sign of him," said Red XIII. "What about Barret and Cid?"

"They were surveying oil fields for Reeve," said Tifa.

"And Cloud?" asked Red XIII. Tifa simply shook her head. Red XIII frowned.

"I'm going to call Barret, see if Cid and him are on their way back," said Tifa, pulling out her phone. Almost on cue, it began to ring. She was surprised to see Barret's name on the call ID. She answered the phone. "Hello?"

"_Tifa, we got us a big problem!"_

"Word gets around," said Tifa.


	8. The Devil's in the Details

Cloud awoke to the sounds of the waves crashing against the ship's hull. He felt a stir and looked to his side to see Binah peacefully sleeping by his side. Under the comforter, she was naked—same as he was. And one thought kept running through his head:

What do you think you're doing?

He climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants and shirt, careful not to wake Binah. After pulling on his boots, he stepped out of the cabin and walked up a few flights. The main level, just below the deck, housed computers available for use. He sat at one of them and activated it, bringing up his e-mail service. He hadn't checked it in years and judging by the sheer amount of e-mails, it showed.

Cloud simply ignored them and opened a new message. In the addressee field, he wrote .

_Reeve,_

_It's been a while, but I don't have time for explanations. Right now, I need you to do me a favor and look at the Shin-Ra files you have, see if you can find anything at all about a group called the Sephira. They're tied to Sephiroth and the Jenova Project, maybe something Hojo had on the side. They claim they're the children of Sephiroth, Hojo apparently used his genes to create offspring. _

_Once I get to Icicle Inn, I'll contact you to see what you've found._

_-Cloud_

Once the e-mail was sent, Cloud moved the cursor towards the close button. He was about to click it, when he caught sight of one of the unread e-mails. The address field was --Tifa's e-mail. The date was from a few months ago. In fact, most of the e-mails were from Tifa. The subjects contained various labels indicating that they were updates of what had been happening in Midgar. Cloud was tempted to go through and read them, but he hesitated. Even if he did write to Tifa, what would he say? It had been two years since they last spoke.

Instead, Cloud clicked the DELETE ALL button before closing the browser.

* * *

Reeve read the e-mail from Cloud and sighed. "Cloud… what have you gotten yourself into?"

His phone began to ring and Reeve quickly silenced it, placing the receiver against his ear. "Reeve Tuesti."

"_We got a problem, man."_

"Barret?" asked Reeve. "What happened in Mideel?"

"_Cid an' I got attacked by a sea worm. Vincent showed up an' helped us out, but he says there's somethin' big goin' down. I just talked to Tifa an' she's in Junon with Yuffie, Red, an' the Turks. We need 'em to meet us where the Temple of Ancients used t' be."_

"Temple of Ancients…?" asked Reeve. "Barret, none of this makes any sense."

"_I know that. But we gotta get a move-on! How soon can y' get the Highwind up an' runnin'?" _

"It's at Junon Airport. In the time it would take for a helicopter to get me there, it'll be ready to go."

"_Awright good, get movin', Tifa an' the others will meet you at the airport, then ya'll gotta get down here."_

"Wait a second," said Reeve. "Barret, what's going on?"

"_Dunno yet, man. But whatever it is, it's big."_

Reeve hung up the phone and looked back at Cloud's e-mail. The two were connected, they had to be. Cloud said he was at Icicle Inn. He wondered if he should take the Highwind there first…?

No, there wasn't time. Barret sounded urgent and time was a luxury Reeve didn't have. He picked up the phone once again.

"Charlotte, I want you to dig up everything Shin-Ra had on the Jenova Project, Sephiroth, Hojo and something called the Sephira. Once you have the info, I want it sent directly to my mobile."

"_Yes, sir."_

"And have all my calls transferred directly to my mobile as well," said Reeve.

"_Punching out early, sir?"_

"Not quite," said Reeve. "Contact Junon Airport, tell them I want the Highwind ready for lift-off as soon as I get there and get me a chopper to take me over there."

"_Consider it done. Enjoy your vacation, sir."_

Reeve hung up the phone. Vacation… right. If Cloud and Barret's words were any indication, this was going to be the furthest thing from a vacation. He grabbed his mobile and as he walked towards the door, his eye caught sight of something in the corner.

Reeve approached the giant toy moogle with the toy cat on its back. Cait Sith, the identity he had assumed back when he infiltrated Avalanche as a spy for Shin-Ra. Not his proudest moment, but he made up for it in the end. But he didn't have time to start it up again.

Cait Sith would have to sit this mission out.

* * *

Vincent, Barret and Cid found themselves at the remains of the Temple of Ancients. All three had their weapons at the ready in case they ran into any foul play. But none of them actually had a clue what they were looking for.

"This is kind've a waste," said Cid. "We come all the way down here but for what? The Temple's still gone an' there's nothin' else on this island."

"Fan out and search," said Vincent. He found himself slipping into a leadership role, something he hadn't done since his time as a Turk.

Cid moved through the forest, not sure exactly what it was he was searching for. He had a sense materia attached to a slot on his wrist and it would let him know if something was nearby. So far though, its color remained a dull yellow, absolutely no glow whatsoever.

Barret didn't rely on any materia to find his way through. He used it sparingly, but he didn't quite understand it fully, nor was he comfortable with it. He preferred to rely on his fist and gattling gun to fight his battles.

As Barret and Cid searched the forest, Vincent knelt before the crater where the Temple had once been. He could sense something odd and his clawed hand hovered over the gaping hole. There was something kept hidden from his view.

Vincent recoiled his hand and jammed his claw against the gaping hole. It struck an invisible barrier.

"Hmph," he muttered. "Someone's hiding something."

A green orb began to glow on Vincent's bracelet and the barrier became visible before it shattered, disintegrating into the ether. The debarrier spell had worked and Vincent hopped into the hole.

He could find nothing, however. His senses had been altered by Hojo's experiments. He could see in the dark and his enhanced hearing and smell functioned extremely accurately, more than enough to find someone who didn't want to be found. More than that, his mental senses were more acute, able to detect disturbances in the Lifestream.

Vincent doubled over in pain, gripping his stomach. He heard a voice in his head, begging for release. He wanted to claw his way to the surface, to take control of Vincent's body, but the former Turk pushed him back.

"No…" he muttered. "Not this… not now."

_**You know I can help, Vincent.**_

"I'm not letting you out," said Vincent.

_**You can only do so much. But me, I can find them.**_

"I'm through trusting you," said Vincent. He tried to relax his body, going through some breathing exercises to calm his body down, lower his heart rate. It slowly began to work and the pain subsided, the voice now becoming a distant echo in his mind.

* * *

Cid suddenly felt a sharp point against his back. He looked down at the sense materia, but it remained without a glow. He sighed. "Damn materia's broken."

"Not quite," said the voice of a man. Cid slowly looked over his shoulder and saw a man who bore a striking resemblance to Sephiroth, holding a sword pointed at him.

"An' who the hell are you?" asked Cid.

"Malkuth," said the man. "You're coming with me."

* * *

A blur appeared before Barret's eyes. He raised his gun and began to turn in a circle, searching frantically for some sign. But all he found were trees, trees and more trees.

In frustration, he began firing randomly.

"Get yer ass out here an' fight like a man!"

A lithe form fell silently to the ground behind him. Next thing Barret knew, he was grabbed from behind with a person who was slight in frame but incredibly strong and a dagger was held to his throat.

"And what if I'm not a man?" asked the young woman who held him.

She kicked him forward and Barret stumbled. When he turned, he saw a young woman with silver hair that fell just below her cheekbones. She was dressed in black leather and her green eyes had an unnatural glow to them.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Barret.

"Nezcha," she said. "And the man who is about to get the drop on you, he's Gebura."

"What…?"

Next thing Barret knew, Gebura struck a blow from behind, knocking the former terrorist to the ground.

* * *

Vincent's hand instantly went to his side. He waited for the slightest sound to tip him off and then he drew the triple-barreled shotgun, spinning around and firing off a shot.

The shell was deflected by a long, silver blade. Vincent's eyes widened when he saw the man before him. "Sephiroth!"

"No, his heir," said Keter.

"Sephiroth never had any children," said Vincent.

"That he knew of," said Keter. "But then, you never knew of your own children either, did you?"

Vincent's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"Keter!"

The voice came from a third party. His hair was closely cropped to his head, his body appeared frail and he sat in a wheelchair. But his eyes and what little hair he had matched the color of Sephiroth's exactly.

"Now is not the time," he said.

"Of course, Daat," said Keter. "You're right."

"Welcome, Mr. Valentine," said Daat.

"Who are you people?" asked Vincent.

"My name is Daat, this is my older brother, Keter. We're two of Sephiroth's children."

"Two _of_? There are more?"

"Eleven in total," said Keter.

"Where are the others?" asked Vincent.

"Making preparations," said Keter.

"Preparations for what?" asked Vincent.

"We're expecting guests," said Daat. "You think we weren't aware of your friends coming?"

Vincent was about to pounce on the pair, but two men grabbed his arms and pulled him back. Both of them looked almost identical.

"Meet Hod and Yeso, two of our younger brothers," said Daat.

"What do you want with them? With me?" asked Vincent.

"Nothing, actually," said Keter. "We're already tracking the one we want. But you might be indispensable in securing his arrival."

* * *

At Junon Airport, Tifa and her party boarded the Highwind quickly. Reeve waited for them on the bridge and greeted Tifa and Yuffie with hugs. Red XIII and him simply exchanged nods and he frowned once he saw the Turks.

But what caught him aback was the seventh member of their party. A man who had Cloud's old sword holstered behind his back and who resembled Cloud but with black hair instead of blond.

"This… this can't be right," said Reeve.

"You know who this is then, I take it," said Red XIII.

"Zack Fair," said Reeve. "I've seen his file. But… you died."

"So I'm told," said Zack. "And from what I've been told, people who were in SOLDIER don't die so easily."

"Unfortunately you're right," said Reeve. "We learned that firsthand five years ago."

"What's the plan?" asked Yuffie.

"We take the Highwind to the Temple of Ancients and rendezvous with Cid, Barret and Vincent," said Reeve.

"Looks like we got the whole crew back together," said Yuffie. "Well… everyone except…"

"I spoke to Cloud."

Tifa stepped right up to Reeve. "What? You did? When? Where is he? Is he okay? Why hasn't he contacted any of us? Why did he contact you before me? What's he been doing? Wh—"

"Slow down, Tifa!" said Reeve, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Truth is, I don't know. I got an e-mail from him before I left Midgar. He said he would contact me once he got to Icicle Inn and in the meantime, he wanted me to look up information for him in Shin-Ra's old files."

"What kind of information?" asked Reno.

"Some secret project Hojo may have been working on," said Reeve. "Something called the Sephira."

"Sephira?" asked Tifa.

"He said something about Sephiroth's children," said Reeve.

"Wait… that's not possible," said Elena.

"How would you know?" asked Reno.

"Because at the academy, I wrote my thesis on Sephiroth," said Elena. "I did a lot of research into his background and past. He never had any children."

"Not children in the traditional sense," said Reeve. "According to Cloud, they were test tube babies."

"Sounds like the kind of thing Hojo would do," said Red XIII. "Remember, when we first met, he wanted me to mate with Aerith so he could get an offspring that could withstand centuries worth of research."

"Wait, what?" asked Zack, moving forward.

"It never happened," said Red XIII. "The point is, Hojo would do anything to perform his experiments, cross any boundaries, regardless of how unethical it may be. The man was entirely without any sense of morality whatsoever."

"So what did you find out?" asked Tifa.

"I had the information uploaded to my mobile," said Reeve, taking out a palm device. He searched through it for the file and found the summary. "Ah, here we are. It was called Project: Sephira. Apparently, these children were bred five years ago and artificially aged."

"When Sephiroth returned?" asked Tifa.

Reeve nodded. "Maybe Shin-Ra was trying to create someone to oppose Sephiroth."

"Where was all this done?" asked Reno. "We were in Shin-Ra HQ back then, and I would've remembered a bunch of little Sephiroths running around."

"Not in Midgar, I know that much," said Reeve. He pressed a few buttons and frowned. "Hmm…"

"What?" asked Tifa.

"The location is classified," said Reeve. "Says I need DGS clearance."

"DGS clearance?" asked Reno. "Never heard of that before."

"Neither have I," said Reeve. "And the only people I can think of who would know what it was are all dead—Hojo, Rufus, Heideggar…"

"What else does it say?" asked Tifa. "Anything that can help us out?"

"Artificial insemination and then the eggs were implanted into surrogate mothers who carried the children to term," said Reeve. "The mothers all seemed to be Wall Market escorts. Throw some money at them, get them off the streets for nine months into a Shin-Ra location where they get to live in comfort. Then… oh…"

"What?" asked Rude.

"The surrogates were all killed after the children were born," said Reeve. "Doesn't say who was assigned to it, though. Again, DGS clearance."

"If they were all surrogates, then who were the mothers?" asked Tifa. "Whose eggs did they use?"

Reeve continued searching through the mobile and his eyes widened. "Dear god… why does nothing stay buried?"

"What?" asked Tifa. "Who were they, Reeve?"

"They used the eggs of one woman and one woman only," said Reeve. He slowly looked up. "These children… they're the children of Sephiroth and Aerith."


	9. Revelations

The ship came to a port on the northern continent and the passengers began to disembark. Cloud and Binah moved to the bottom of the ship where the cars were located and climbed aboard Fenrir, waiting for their chance to leave.

As soon as they did, Cloud sped down the road, swerving in and out of traffic. Off in the distance, he could see Icicle Inn rising over the horizon. Once they entered the city limits, Cloud pulled up to one of the many resort hotels. Icicle Inn had become an arctic getaway for many people, a chance to escape for a weekend of skiing or snowboarding or, for the more daring, climbing the Great Glacier.

"What are we doing here?" asked Binah. "I thought we were going to the Forgotten City?"

"We are," said Cloud, climbing off the bike. "But I need to make a phone call first."

"Who are you going to call?" asked Binah.

"Just a friend in Midgar," said Cloud. "I need to check on something. If you want, you can go into one of the restaurants and get something to eat, I'll meet you soon."

Binah nodded and climbed off as well. The pair walked into the hotel and Binah went towards the restaurants while Cloud walked over to the phones. He dialed the number for the WRO's headquarters in Midgar.

"I need to speak to Reeve Tuesti," he said.

"_One moment, please."_

Cloud was transferred over.

"_Reeve Tuesti's office."_

"Is Reeve in?" asked Cloud. "I need to speak to him, it's urgent."

"_No he's not, but I can transfer you to his mobile if you like."_

"That's fine."

Some light music played as Cloud waited for the call to transfer. Then he heard ringing before Reeve's voice came on at the other end.

"_Reeve Tuesti."_

"Reeve, it's Cloud."

"Cloud! Listen, I'm not sure why you wanted me to find out about the Sephira or how you even knew about them in the first place, but—"

"_Cloud's on the line?!"_

He recognized the voice in the background as Tifa and he could hear her trying to convince Reeve to hand over the phone.

"Just a moment, Cloud. Tifa wants to talk to you."

"I… I don't have time, Reeve," said Cloud. "Listen, this is important. What did you find out about the Sephira?"

"Five years ago, there was indeed a top-secret program called Project: Sephira. The idea was to generate a group of soldiers powerful enough to take on Sephiroth and destroy Meteor. Shin-Ra fell before they had a chance to complete their mission, however."

"So what are they? Just another group of Sephiroth clones?" asked Cloud.

"No, they're the genetic offspring of Sephiroth. The eggs were artificially inseminated and then the eleven children were all carried to term by eleven different surrogate mothers. The surrogates were all killed once the children were born. Then the children were taken to a secret location and their age was artificially accelerated."

"What location?" asked Cloud. "And how did all this happen if Shin-Ra fell?"

"_That's what we don't know," _said Reeve. _"Any information regarding the children's activities and whereabouts after birth requires DGS clearance."_

"Which is…?"

"_Hell if I know," _said Reeve. _"The only people who may have known about it were Rufus, Hojo, and Heideggar and they're all dead."_

"Perfect," said Cloud.

"Cloud… there's something else."

"What?"

"The surrogates… they only carried the children to term, their eggs weren't used. In fact, all the children came from the same woman."

"Who's that?" asked Cloud.

"This is… Cloud, this is going to come as a shock."

Cloud felt a lump in his throat. He already knew the answer before Reeve told him. It explained a lot about Binah, her nature and that look in her eyes, how it reminded him so much of her.

"They're the children of Sephiroth and Aerith."

"…I have to go," said Cloud.

_"Wait Cloud, I'm not finished!"_ said Reeve. _"I need to know how you stumbled on these people and there's something going on at—"_

Cloud hung up the phone before Reeve could say another word. He went to the restaurant. The lunch crowd was there and it was crowded, but he easily spotted Binah sitting alone at the bar, eating a sandwich. A few guys attempted to hit on her, but she just smiled and kindly rejected them. Once she caught sight of Cloud, she smiled.

It was a smile that reminded Cloud so much of Aerith. Things started to make more sense now. And what irony was it… Binah was the offspring of Aerith and the man responsible for her death. Her complete antithesis.

Cloud slowly approached Binah, but did not sit. Instead, he reached into his pocket and placed several coins on the bar as payment for the sandwich.

"We have to go."

"So soon?" asked Binah. She noticed something was off about him. His tone had changed. It was more monotone. "Cloud… is something wrong? What was the phone call about? Bad news?"

"You might say that," said Cloud. "Come on, we want to get to the Forgotten City before it's too late."

Binah left the remains of her sandwich and followed Cloud out the door.

* * *

"Cloud? Cloud!"

Reeve sighed and put his mobile back in the pocket of his suit jacket. "No use," he said. "He hung up."

"Did you tell him where we're going at least?" asked Tifa. "Did you find out anything more about him?"

Reeve shook his head. "Cloud wouldn't say much. He didn't say how he knew about the Sephira, and after I mentioned Aerith, he just said he had to go and then he hung up."

Tifa walked up to the pilot. "Change course for Icicle Inn."

"What?" asked Reeve. "Tifa, I understand you're upset—"

"Don't even start with me, Reeve," said Tifa. She looked at the pilot again. "I said change course."

"No," said Reeve.

Tifa slowly turned her head and glared at him. "Excuse me?"

"You're not in charge here, Tifa," said Reeve. "The Highwind's crew are all WRO employees and that means they answer to me. We have more pressing matters to worry about than Cloud."

"Then drop me off," said Tifa. "I'll get to Icicle Inn on my own."

"Tifa, stop," said Red XIII. "There's no telling how long Cloud will be there. And if he's gone by the time you arrive, how are you going to find him? Right now, our friends need our help."

Tifa sighed and left the bridge. Once she was gone, Reno leaned against the guardrail and lit a cigarette.

"That's one uppity broad," he said.

"Watch your mouth," said Zack.

"We've got a crisis on our hands and she's too busy worrying about this damn puppy love," said Reno. "The hell kinda bullshit is that?"

"I thought I just told you to watch your mouth?" asked Zack, stepping forward. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. Reno stood upright, his hand moving under his jacket for his nightstick.

"You wanna tangle, SOLDIER-boy?" asked Reno. "Let's see if you guys are as good as you claim."

"We're not," said Zack. "We're better."

Elena stepped between the two of them. "Okay, just cool down," she said. "We've got a lot to worry about right now, and it won't do us any good if we kill each other before we get to the Temple."

Zack relaxed his grip on his sword and turned away. "I need some air."

"Geez, what's with all these SOLDIER guys?" asked Reno once Zack left. He took a drag on his cigarette, leaning back against the guardrail again. "It's like a requirement for them to be insane."

"Enough," said Red XIII. "You're here as a guest, don't forget that and don't push your luck."

"Whatever," said Reno. "If it wasn't for me, you assholes wouldn't even know about this shit."

"You want a medal or somethin'?" asked Yuffie.

"Oh piss off," said Reno. "Don't think I forgot how you stole my money."

"Please, you're still hung up on that?" asked Yuffie. "Grow up."

* * *

Tifa stood on the Highwind's deck, the wind blowing through her hair. She watched the waves as the airship flew past them. It reminded her of her first time on here and how much of a thrill it was.

The door to the cabin opened and Zack stepped out.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"It's not your fault," she said.

"I know how you feel, though," said Zack. "My memories are mixed in with Cloud's, so much that I actually thought I was him before I met Red XIII. And I know that if your places were reversed, Cloud would want to make finding you his priority."

"Oh really?" asked Tifa.

"It's what I would do," said Zack.

She smiled. "You're sweet."

Zack nodded. "Hey… Aerith… do you know her?"

"Of course," said Tifa. "Well… I knew her."

Zack looked up at her. "What's that mean?"

"Red didn't tell you?"

Zack shook his head. Tifa sighed and buried her face in her hands. "Oh damn…"

"What?" Zack grabbed her shoulder. "Tifa, tell me!"

"Zack… Aerith… she passed away five years ago."

Zack turned away and looked over the edge of the ship. "Oh…"

Silence filled the air for several moments, after which Zack looked back at Tifa. "How did she die?"

"Sephiroth…" she said.

Zack's fists clenched and he gritted his teeth in anger. "I should've killed him when I had the chance…"

"There was nothing you could have done," said Tifa. "Sephiroth was too strong for you. He was almost too strong for us."

Zack hung his head, leaning over the guardrail. Tifa gently placed a hand on his back. "Are you okay?"

"It's strange…" he said. "I can barely remember Aerith. I just see flashes of her in my dreams. But… I don't really know her. Not anymore. And yet, even though I can't remember her, finding out she's dead… it's like a piece of me has just been torn out."

Tifa nodded. "She had that effect on people. Everyone loved Aerith." Her voice seemed to take on a tinge of sadness at those last words.

"Now you're the one who doesn't seem okay?" said Zack.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. Just some… old feelings, I guess."

"Oh…" said Zack.

Yuffie came out onto the deck and looked at the pair. "Hey guys, Reeve wanted me to tell you that we're about to land."

* * *

Barret, Cid and Vincent all stood motionless. They were held in place by a stop spell that prevented them from moving even a little. They could speak, however. Before them stood seven of the eleven Sephira—Malkuth, Yeso, Hod, Gebura, Nezcha, Daat and their leader, Keter. All of them bore a striking resemblance to Sephiroth.

"I want to thank you all for taking the time out to visit us," said Keter. "I assure you, we'll do our best to make your stay as comfortable as possible."

"How about you drop this spell then?" asked Cid.

Keter grinned. "I don't think so."

"So what is this anyway? The Sephiroth fan club?" asked Barret.

"Not quite, we're his children," said Keter.

"How's that work? Yer all too old t' be his kids."

"We were genetically engineered by Shin-Ra and our aging was accelerated. Physically, we appear in our twenties, but we're actually only around five years old," said Daat. "Once we became old enough, we rebelled against our captors. Since then, we've been on the run. But soon, we'll have the means to strike back at those who stole our lives from us.

"And what means would that be?" asked Vincent.

"Once the vessel arrives, you'll see," said Daat.

"Vessel…?" asked Vincent.

"They ask too many questions, Daat," said Gebura. "May I kill them?"

Keter raised his hand. "Leave them be, Gebura."

Gebura sighed and crossed his arms. Keter walked up to Vincent, their faces only inches apart. Vincent looked at the man's face, reading his features and then the former Turk allowed himself a slight grin.

"Of course," he said. "You think you can bring him back."

"Bring who back?" asked Cid.

"Sephiroth," said Vincent. "They want to resurrect Sephiroth."

"What?" asked Cid. "Are you outta your fuckin' minds?! He'll kill you an' then try to destroy the planet—again!"

"We're his children," said Keter. "We'll join with him and together, we'll find the Promised Land. But first, we need the vessel. Someone capable of containing his great essence. Someone who's built for expressly that purpose."

"Someone with Jenova cells," said Vincent.

"So someone from SOLDIER," said Barret.

"No, we need someone with more of a… personal connection," said Keter. "One who has been exposed to a high degree of mako infusion."

"Cloud," said Vincent. "That's why you're holding us captive. You want Cloud to come after us."

"Exactly," said Keter.

"Keter!"

Keter turned and looked to Nezcha. "What is it?" he asked.

"An airship just landed outside the forest," she said. "They've arrived."

"Good," said Keter. "Go after them, but remember—we need them alive."

* * *

Cloud stopped Fenrir in the heart of the Forgotten City. Binah looked around, amazed at what she saw. The entire place was magnificent, a ghost town, yes. But more of a monument to a long-dead civilization.

"This is… incredible," she said. "This is where the Cetra lived?"

"For a time," said Cloud. "They traveled around a lot. But yes, they lived here. This is where we were given the means to save the world from Meteor."

Cloud drew his sword from Fenrir's side compartment and slid it into the harness behind him. He motioned for Binah to follow him as he walked towards the city's center.

There was a spiral staircase made of iridescent crystal. It led down to another part of the city, which included a large pond with bright blue water, clean as can be and an alter that stood in the center of the pond. Cloud made his way to the altar and Binah followed him. Once they were at the altar, Cloud knelt down in the center. There was something that stained the white marble. It looked to be a dark, brownish color, as if someone had spilled something.

"This is where it happened," he said.

Binah looked confused. "Where what happened?"

Cloud looked up at her. "This is where Sephiroth killed your mother."


	10. The Kids Aren't All Right

Binah stepped back in shock. "…what?"

Cloud rose to his feet and slowly approached her. "That's what the phone call was about," he said. "My friend in Midgar? He has access to Shin-Ra's old files. And what he was able to find out about you is that you were created by combining the genes of Sephiroth with a woman named Aerith Gainsborough. The fertilized eggs were implanted in surrogate mothers who carried you and your brothers and sisters to term and then after you were born, the surrogates were killed.

"Aerith was one of my best friends," he continued. "She was the last of the Cetra and at this altar, she summoned Holy, which was necessary to stop Meteor and save the planet. And Sephiroth killed her for it. Ran her through with his sword on this very spot."

Binah nearly collapsed at this news. "It… it can't be true…"

"It is," said Cloud. "You and the rest of the Sephira were bred to kill Sephiroth and stop Meteor. But Shin-Ra fell before you were ready. Somehow, you were still kept in captivity over the course of five years. That's the only part I haven't been able to figure out."

"Cloud…" she said. "You have to understand, this isn't what I am. I'm not like him. I mean… I knew what the reports said about him, but I didn't want to believe them. That's why I came on this journey, to find out for myself. But… it's all true, isn't it?"

Cloud nodded. With each step, he came closer to her. "Every. Last. Word."

He grabbed her hair and roughly pulled her close to him as he drew his sword. "Now my question is, what does this have to do with me?"

"Argh, what are you doing?"

"Getting some straight answers for once!" said Cloud, throwing her against the ground. He pointed his sword at her. "Tell me what this is all about. It's no coincidence that you and Gebura ran into me on Mt. Nibel. You were waiting for me, weren't you?"

"No!"

"All this talk about wanting to discover where you came from, it was all a lie!" said Cloud. "You knew everything about Sephiroth before you even met me! And you've had me going with you on this journey… for what? So I could help you destroy the planet? Are you controlling me like he once did? What is this?!"

"Cloud please, you have to believe me!" she pleaded. "I was sincere with everything I said to you!"

"I don't believe you," said Cloud. "So here's what's going to happen. From now on, _you _do the leading. You're going to take me to the rest of your family and then I'm going to kill you all, understand?"

"No, I don't think you will."

The feminine voices echoed all around the chamber. Cloud looked up and saw three black and silver blurs streak past him, before all three landed on the main platform. All three were women with silver hair and green eyes. All three of them wore black leather and all three wielded swords.

"Thank you, Binah," said one of them. "You played your part perfectly."

Cloud glared at Binah. "I _knew _it!"

"Cloud no, you don't get it!" she screamed. She looked back at the first woman who spoke. "Get _out _of here, Chokmah!"

"No," said Chokmah. "Chesde, Tipheret and I aren't leaving unless you and the vessel are coming with us."

"Vessel?" asked Cloud.

"That's right, vessel," said Chokmah. "You're going to provide us with the means to resurrect our father."

Cloud pressed a switch on the hilt and one of the swords popped free. He grabbed it with his open hand and leapt from the altar towards the platform. He brought both his swords down and the three Sephira raised their own blades to block. They forced him back and Cloud's feet skidded on the ground until he almost went to the edge. He rushed forward, swinging both blades interchangeably.

The Sephira kept up their own assault, deflecting his blows with their swords. They began to leap around him, moving in quick succession. With their speed, he wasn't sure if it was a haste spell or if they were just that fast.

Cloud flipped back onto one of the pillars leading to the altar. Before he left Nibelheim, he made sure to equip his materia. He concentrated on it and one of the orbs began to glow. Cloud's hand reached out and green energy exploded outward as he cast an ultima spell. The three Sephira were caught in its wake, falling to the ground in pain as the magical energy swirled about them.

Something else happened, though. Once the attack ended, all three Sephira were surrounded by a golden aura. Cloud recognized the effect—Aerith used to be able to cast spells like that without the use of materia. He looked over his shoulder and saw Binah's hands outstretched, her eyes clothes and her lips moving, mumbling something.

Chokmah, Tipheret and Chesde felt reinvigorated, healed from the attack and advanced on Cloud again. Their attacks were relentless, each one thrusting their blades at him. Cloud deflected as best he could, but even with two swords, it wasn't enough.

Blow after blow pierced his body, and with each strike, his movements became slower, more sluggish. He couldn't keep up the attack much longer. That was when Chokmah grabbed him by his collar and leapt into the air, dragging him with her. Once she reached the apex of her jump, she threw him towards the ground with all her strength, and Cloud fell through the altar with a resounding crash.

Chokmah raised her sword, the blade pointed down, and fell. On her descent, the blade was aimed directly for Cloud. But just before she struck, the blade hit another blade with a loud _clang_.

Binah stood over Cloud, holding up her own sword. Chokmah stepped back and brought her sword into a battle stance.

"Do you want to fight me, sister?" she asked.

"No," said Binah, then sheathed her blade. "But did you forget we need him alive?"

"I wasn't going to kill him, just stab him," said Chokmah. "A final insult."

"It's excessive and we can't risk damaging the vessel," said Binah. Cloud began to stir but Binah placed a hand on her forehead, a materia orb glowing on her armlet. "Sleep," she said and he fell unconscious. Binah looked up at Chokmah.

"You see? There was an easier way to do this."

"We did it your way, and it nearly cost us," said Chokmah.

"We needed to come to the Northern Crater anyway," said Binah. "That's where our father's essence still resides."

"You spent a lot of time alone with him," said Chokmah. "That's dangerous."

"I'm fine," said Binah. "Let's get moving."

* * *

"Where am I?"

"Don't you know?"

"No…"

"You've been here before. First time you've invited me, though. I have to say, though, this place could _definitely _use a woman's touch."

"What do you mean?"

"It's so… drab. Very dreary. C'mon Cloud, can't you do better than this?"

"Dreary? I don't know. Why can't I see anything?"

"Because your eyes are closed, silly. Try opening them."

Cloud's eyelids slowly rose, revealing the strange, blue glow of his mako eyes. He was sitting in an old chair and the girl was right—the place _was _dreary. It took him a few moments before he realized exactly where he was.

"Shin-Ra Mansion," he said.

"Surprised you didn't change it to something a little more personal."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like… Cloud Mansion or Casa de Strife or something like that."

Cloud shrugged. "Not really much point. No one else lives in Nibelheim anymore. By the way, who are you?"

"Don't you know?"

Cloud sat up and walked out of the room. He followed the sound of the girl's voice, or at least he tried to. Every time he heard her speak, it sounded like she was right next to him.

"I know it's been a while, but I had hoped you wouldn't forget me."

"Sorry," said Cloud. "The past few days have been…"

"Crazy, I know. I've been paying attention."

He stepped outside the front door, but once he did, he was somewhere else. The Forgotten City, right before the altar. She knelt on the ground, her hands clasped together, her eyes closed in prayer. Her long, brown hair was tied in a braid by a pink ribbon. She wore a pink dress with a small, red jacket over the top. She opened those big, green eyes and looked at him with a smile.

"You came!" she said.

"Aerith…" said Cloud. He suddenly remembered what was about to happen. "Aerith, look out!"

He sprung from his position, leaping up the pillars just as he saw a black figure descend from the top of the altar. He leapt forward, attempting to push her away, but it felt as if he were swimming in molasses. The blade went through her body cleanly and she slumped over.

Sephiroth looked up at Cloud with a despicable grin as he slid the sword out of her body. Cloud reached behind his back for his own sword, but it was gone. "Huh?" He looked to his armlets but saw no materia orbs there.

"Really Cloud, haven't we done this dance enough times already?" asked Sephiroth. He sheathed the massive blade and leaned against the rail around the altar.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's time to move on," said Sephiroth. "Time to find something else in life. You're in this endless cycle."

"He's right," said Aerith. Now she appeared behind Cloud, placing a hand on his shoulder. The scenery changed again, this time they were in the church in the Sector 5 slums.

"What is this?" asked Cloud.

"A tour of your psyche," said Sephiroth. "The process is beginning."

"And I'm here to try and help you get through it," said Aerith.

"What process? What's happening?" asked Cloud.

"It's our children," said Aerith. "They're trying to use you."

"Why?" asked Cloud.

"It's fairly obvious, I would think," said Sephiroth. "They want to install my essence in your body."

"That's not going to happen," said Cloud.

"Oh?" asked Sephiroth with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think you have a choice in the matter."

"Yes you do!" said Aerith. "Cloud, listen to me… no one is beyond redemption, you understand?"

Sephiroth drew his sword and impaled Aerith on it once again. "Enough with your prattling," he said. "The time has come, Cloud."

* * *

"Cloud!"

"CLOUD!"

Cloud's eyes slowly opened and he looked around. His friends were all around him, strung up by vines in a deep cavern. Also present were the Turks. And, directly across from Cloud, was a man he thought he saw die.

"Zack…?"

"Yeah," said Zack. "It's a long story."

"I guess so," said Cloud. He tried to move his hands and found he was also strung up in a similar fashion. "Great… just great. Can someone tell me what's going on?"

"The Sephira plan to use you to resurrect Sephiroth," said Vincent. Install his essence in your body."

"Why me? Why not them?" asked Cloud.

"Because we aren't pure," said Daat as the Sephira entered the enclosure. "You, on the other hand, are. Your body has become so saturated with mako and Jenova cells that it's almost identical to the levels Sephiroth had in his own body. All we need is to complete the summoning."

"What do you mean you're not pure?" asked Reeve.

"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be Sephy's bastard children?" asked Reno.

Gebura swiftly punched Reno for that remark. The Turk reeled, then slowly turned his head. "You slap like a bitch."

Gebura struck him again. "How was that?"

Reno slowly turned his head and spat into Gebura's face. "The teenybopper ninja hits harder than you."

"Hey!" exclaimed Yuffie.

Gebura's rage built but before he could draw his sword to kill Reno, he heard his name shouted by Keter.

"Leave them be," he said. "He's nothing compared to you. To us."

"That's right, you're all special," said Reno.

"To answer your question," said Daat, ignoring Reno's remark. "We're inferior because we don't have the purity of genetics our father had. We've been corrupted by Cetra blood."

"You sonnuva bitch!" shouted Barret, struggling. "The only part o' you that's worth a damn is what came from Aerith!"

"We were the products of an underground Shin-Ra faction you've never been informed of," said Daat. "Raised in a secret location, an organization that has lasted even after the fall of Shin-Ra."

"The DGS clearance," said Reeve.

"Precisely," said Daat. He looked at the rest of the Sephira, then turned to their captives. "We must go prepare. Just think, Cloud. Tomorrow, you will serve as the vessel for the return of the most magnificent being to ever set foot on Gaia."

The Sephira left. Binah lingered in the back, looking at Cloud. He shot her an angry stare and she looked to her feet before following the rest of her family out. Once they were gone, Cloud struggled against his bonds even more.

"It's no use," said Cid. "We tried already."

"Doesn't mean we're just gonna give up," said Cloud.

"Why not, sure seems to be what _you've_ done," said Tifa.

Cloud eyed her cautiously. "Now's not the time."

"We may not _have _another time," she said.

"Then it's something we're not going to discuss," said Cloud.

"Yes it is," said Tifa. "What were you thinking? Abandoning us like that?"

Cloud sighed. "I _tried_, okay? I tried to settle down, live a normal life, but I just couldn't. I was… lost."

"You could have asked for help," said Tifa. "You didn't have to take it all on yourself."

Cloud shook his head. "You don't understand."

"Sure she does," said Barret. "You was bein' selfish."

"And who the hell are _you _to judge?" asked Cloud.

"I'm the guy who's gonna knock some sense into your spikey-headed ass," said Barret. "You ran off, didn't tell anyone where you was. Never lifted a finger to contact any of us. An' your surprised that we got pissed?"

"I know, I let you down," said Cloud. "Seems to be what I do best."

"An' enough with the damn pity party!" said Barret. "Christ, you think you the only one who's messed up? But you ain't gonna get off that easy by just givin' in. Ain't no one in this room gonna let that happen."

"Actually, I think I might."

"Shut up, Reno!" said Elena.

"Oh what, you gonna act like we're all buddies here?" asked Reno. "Unless you've forgotten, we were at each other's throats a few years ago."

"That was then," said Rude. "Things change."

Reno shrugged. "A Turk's only loyalty is to the Turks. Everyone and everything else is expendable."

"Shin-Ra's gone, Reno," said Elena. "It's time we stopped playing by their rules and started making some of our own. And if that means joining up with the people we used to fight, then I'm willing to do that."

"Y'know, I hate to interrupt a big kumbaya moment like this…" began Yuffie. "…but does anyone know how the _hell _we're gonna get outta here?"

"Don't worry 'bout it, Yuffie," said Barret. "Cloud here's already given up. This time tomorrow, we can start callin' him Sephiroth. Finally got to be your big hero, huh?"

"Shut up, Barret," said Tifa.

"Just tryin' t' help."

"And you're doing a horrible job," said Tifa.

"Listen," said Red XIII. "We can either keep bickering or we can try to find a way out of here."

"I'm open to suggestions," said Zack.

"Let's take stock of the situation," said Red XIII. "Does anyone have anything on them? Materia, weapons, anything?"

"They stripped us of all our gear," said Reno. "And just my luck, I got frisked by the big guy instead of one of the babes."

"…Fenrir."

"What was that?" asked Reeve.

"My bike," said Cloud. "It has a remote system on it. They didn't take the remote when they searched me. Probably didn't know what it was."

"Where is it?" asked Tifa.

"The Forgotten City, so it might take some time to get here."

"So Cloud's bike gets here and then what?" asked Reno. "Does it transform into a robot that can break us free?"

"I have spare gear in it," he said. "There might be a few materia orbs in one of the hidden compartments. Once it gets in range, we could use the materia to get loose."

"Can you reach the remote?" asked Red XIII.

"I… think so…" said Cloud. He struggled, trying to reach his fingers for the edge of his glove. There was a hidden pocket and he snapped it open. A small remote fell into his fingertips and he pressed a switch on it.

"…is that it?" asked Reno.

"Assuming the signal can reach it in here," said Cloud.

"Well if it's alright by you, I think I'd like a back-up plan," said Reno.

"Then come up with one," said Yuffie.

Binah entered the room and the conversation fell dead in an instant. She looked around at all of them and walked over to Cloud.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"To talk to you," she said.


End file.
